Dustin Pedroia only played 3 games during the 2018 Red Sox title run because of knee complications. With a full year to recover under his belt, Red Sox fans will have to wait a little longer to see Pedey get into the lineup on a regular basis. Pedroia will open the season on the injured list but reports have been positive that the Red Sox 2nd baseman will return to the lineup sooner rather than later.
This doesn’t sound like anything to panic about yet. Totally understandable that he needs to build up to 9 inning back to back games. Pedroia has played so far this spring but no longer than a handful of innings at a time. Getting a few extra extended Spring Games in doesn’t hurt. It’s also tough to carry him on the roster if he can’t play more than 1 game in a row yet.
The Red Sox won 108 games a year ago for a reason. This team is flat out loaded. They won those games without the Laser Show. Add in a former AL MVP with something to prove? Oh, boy. I know people have short memories with this sort of thing but Pedroia is awesome. Pedroia is a career .300 hitter and has won 4 gold gloves in his career. Even if Pedroia is 80 percent of what he once was, the Red Sox are a lot better.
Eduardo Nunez and Brock Holt will man the position until Pedey returns. Nunez posted a -1.1 WAR because of his defensive woes. Holt is probably more valuable in a utility role but he does work well in a platoon role as a left handed bat in any lineup. It’s been too long since I got to see Dustin Pedroia back at full strength and I can’t wait for it to come to fruition.
