It might not be too long until Dustin Pedroia suits up for the Boston Red Sox.
Pedroia, who’s yet to play this season after undergoing a cartilage restoration procedure on his left knee in October, began his rehab assignment Monday night. The 34-year-old played five innings for Triple-A Pawtucket in its game against the Buffalo Bisons, going 1-for-3 with a single and a run scored.
The veteran second baseman was pleased with how things went after his first live game action in some time.
“I’m pretty happy about it. First game in a long time, everything went great,” Pedroia said, per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “I felt good up there. I hit three balls on the barrel. I felt good about that. Obviously, I’ve got to get some more at-bats to lock in, but everything went great.”
Pedroia plans to play seven innings Tuesday night, per Speier, followed by two days off. He’ll then play three straight games over the weekend, and if all goes well, it will secure Pedroia’s confidence in his knee.
“Knock on wood, if I get through this, this is the last step to test if my knee is back to normal,” Pedroia said, per Speier. “I’m pretty excited that it is and there wouldn’t be an issue. I’m fine now, man. I don’t have any issues.
“You’re going to see the same guy you’ve seen for however many years I’ve played.”
If that’s the case, the Red Sox will receive a boost to their already-loaded lineup.
