Dustin Pedroia Using Rehab Assignment To Be ‘Everyday Player’ For Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia is set to begin his rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Thursday as he works his way back from a nagging knee injury.

The Boston Red Sox second baseman underwent surgery in 2017 before playing in just three games in 2018 before being undergoing two more procedures and being shut down for the remainder of the season. Pedroia began the 2019 campaign on the injured list and appeared in just six games before he felt a pop in his knee, leading to another IL stint.

It’s certainly been a rough road to recovery for the 35-year-old, but he’s determined to make the most of his assignment in order to be an “everyday player” for Boston.

“He’s going to push himself to be an everyday player and that’s something we want, too,” manager Alex Cora said, via MassLive. “We talk about our situation, where we’re at roster-wise and all that. And he agrees to it. He understands. For him, too, it’s good. That’s who he is.”

The Sox already are faced with a slew of infield injuries including Eduardo Nunez (back) and Brock Holt (shoulder), but given Pedroia’s age and injury, Boston likely won’t rush him back to the lineup.