Dustin Pedroia announced he’d be taking an indefinite break from rehabbing his injured knee in May and has been spending time with his family while he ponders what’s next.
The Boston Red Sox second baseman has been battling ongoing knee issues for two seasons. He underwent cartilage restoration surgery in 2017, and another procedure in 2018. Pedroia played in just three games in the 2018 season and appeared in six this year before making the difficult decision to leave baseball for a while.
There’s no timetable for his return, but manager Alex Cora revealed he spoke to Pedroia last week on the phone, and provided some insight on what the 35-year-old has been up to.
“I talked to him. We’ve been texting,” Cora told WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “But we talked a week ago. They went to visit his parents in California, hanging out with the kids. I think he was at a lake or something. A Holiday Inn Express, he’s staying there. I’m like, ‘You’re staying there?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah this is life.’ I think the other day in the hitter’s meetings, he face-timed the guys. He’s hanging out with (his wife) Kelli and the kids and disconnecting himself from this madness and just relaxing, which is good.”
Cora also noted he believes the time spent with his family has been good for his kids because instead of seeing their dad rehab his injury, they’re able to spend quality time with him.
“Kelli has been there the whole time,” Cora said. “He needed that time with the kids instead of the kids watching Dad icing and do all this stuff to get ready for the next day. Now it’s like, let’s see what we’re going to do today. I think it’s refreshing for him and something the family needed.”
While Pedroia is missed throughout the clubhouse and fan base, it’s certainly nice to know he’s getting some quality family time in.
