Dustin Pedroia Wishes He Could Sprint Back to Lineup, But Staff Staying Cautious

Dustin Pedroia is moving faster than the Red Sox expected, but they need him to slow down.

The second baseman began running on Friday, exactly six weeks after breaking his foot. The Boston training staff, however, is limiting how much Pedroia runs to avoid risking further injury, which would knock him out of the lineup for the rest of the season. The broken bone is not fully healed.

"He went out [Friday], and I thought he did great," manager Terry Francona told MLB.com. "Because he's not game ready, he was mad, which we understand. His intensity was really ramped up. Still decelerating, you can see he's thinking about it. But I thought he made a lot of improvement, which is great. It's still healing. For him to accept that is very difficult. But I thought he had a good day. For him, a good day is not going to be until he is in the lineup."

The good day could be coming in as little as a week. Yet, until the staff gives him the green light to run with no limitations, there is no exact timetable for his return.

Catcher Jason Varitek remains weeks behind Pedroia, but the Red Sox captain is also showing improvement. According to The Boston Globe, Varitek says his foot is “feeling better every day.” The veteran catcher has been without his crutches or medical boot for a week now, and also took some swings in batting practice before Thursday night’s game. 

Relief pitcher Hideki Okajima landed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday with a right hamstring strain.
"I had a problem with my hip and back for a while, but I felt something in my hamstring [Thursday] when I threw, so I feel that the problem with my hip and back came down into my hamstring," Okajima told MLB.com through his interpreter.

Felix Doubront was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to replace Okajima in the bullpen. The lefty was struggling for Boston this season, posting a 5.85 ERA in 40 appearances this season. Opponents are also hitting .350 against him.

Okajima attributes this year’s struggles to nagging injuries.

"I've had injuries in the personal workout in the offseason, and in spring training, they [were] lingering as well, so it hasn't been a great year health-wise," Okajima said.

Waffling between returning to the dugout or remaining on the disabled list perhaps for the rest of the year, Mike Cameron delivered some good news on Sunday, saying his lower abdomen strain is feeling better, the Globe reports.

“I think he felt a little optimistic from talking to him [Saturday] night, which is good,’’ Francona told the Globe.