Few, if any in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse have been bitten harder by the proverbial injury bug than Steve Pearce.
The veteran first baseman, who was a hero in the 2018 World Series, has appeared in just 29 games this season, spending the rest of the time on the injured list.
In mid-July, manager Alex Cora said Pearce wasn’t close to returning, but by the 23rd of the month he was saying Pearce had turned a corner physically. The 36-year-old has been rehabbing at the team’s training facility in Ft. Myers, Fla., so updates on him have been minimal.
However, ahead of Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels, Pearce was spotted in the Red Sox clubhouse, and he gave a quick update on his status.
Pearce initially went to the IL on June 1 due to a back strain, but suffered a posterior ligament knee injury while he was rehabbing. At the beginning of July, Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Pearce likely would be out at least a month longer, and though we’ve technically since passed that point, there’s no clearer timetable for a return — as Pearce indicated Saturday.
The Red Sox have made out fine enough at first this season, even with Pearce and Mitch Moreland out for extended periods at points. Michael Chavis, Sam Travis, Brock Holt and Christian Vazquez all have spent some time at the position this season.
