The Boston Red Sox welcomed a familiar face back to the starting nine Tuesday afternoon.
Dustin Pedroia was activated from the injured list prior to the Red Sox’s home opener and made his 2019 season debut against the Toronto Blue Jays. It was a modest day at the ballpark for the veteran second baseman, who went 1-for-4 with a ninth-inning single in the Red Sox’s 7-5 loss at Fenway Park.
Pedroia had an opportunity to do damage right from the get-go, as two runners were on with no outs in his first at-bat in the second inning. The 35-year-old helped Boston grab a 2-0 lead, but it was at the cost of a double play.
“I was trying too hard. I was kind of in a big spot,” Pedroia said, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “I appreciate it so much. I think everyone knows what I’ve been going through and trying to come back from.”
It’s tough to blame Pedroia for having some jitters. After all, he only appeared in three games last season due to his lingering knee injury. But as the game began to unfold, the four-time All-Star got his feet back under him.
“After my second at-bat, I kind of calmed down and was able to try to have good at-bats and see the ball,” Pedroia said. “I was amped up my first couple and hit a line drive to right. That kind of settled me down a little bit. The ninth inning, you’re obviously facing their closer (Ken Giles) so you’re trying to get on base. I was fortunate enough to get a ball and find the hole.”
Pedroia added: “To be able to play in the home opener, it meant a lot to me. I feel like I accomplished something out of this. During the whole thing, I really haven’t had any good news or anything. I’d see a doctor and (he’d give me) bad news. At some point you want something good.”
It remains to be seen how the Red Sox will manage Pedroia going forward, but he sure sounds confident he can return to being an impact player once again.
“I’ve been working for 16 months just to get ready to do this,” Pedroia said. “Last year, I played three games. I don’t feel like I did last year. I’m going to be fine.”
