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Dustin Pedroia

AL East Notes: Rays, Pedroia, JDM, Lee

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Rays owner Stuart Sternberg weighed in on the MLBPA’s grievance against the Rays and three other clubs regarding concerns over the reallocation of revenue-sharing funds, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The Rays, according to Sternberg, are “beyond” compliant with the rules. “We’re very judicious in how we spend our money, but it’s spent in a lot of forms, and payroll is one of them,” said Sternberg, going on to point out that the Rays’ Opening Day payroll in 2018 will be higher than it was in 2017. Of course, the Rays still rank near the bottom of the league in that regard, as they do every year. Chris Archer, the Rays’ union representative, also spoke with Topkin on the matter. “I have no clue what it costs to run the Dominican academy,” said Archer. “I know just from my perspective, not a whole lot has changed with the spring training facility, not a whole lot has changed at the Trop, and our payroll has not increased significantly.”

  • Veteran Red Sox star Dustin Pedroia had a bit more done to his knee than had previous been known, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. In addition to cartilage restoration work, Pedroia underwent a microfracture procedure to his tibia. Regardless, it seems that the hard-nosed veteran is progressing well given that he has now advanced to taking batting practice. Meanwhile, fellow infielder Marco Hernandez is still six weeks away from resuming baseball activities, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets. Hernandez underwent shoulder surgery last May and only just had screws removed, but at least he now seems to be in sight of returning to the field.
  • In other Red Sox coverage, Bradford discusses new signee J.D. Martinez’s unique relationship with his personal hitting coach. As it turns out, new Boston hitting coach Tim Hyers is well acquainted with Martinez’s guru Robert Van Scoyoc, who’ll be allowed to continue consulting with Martinez even though he has been hired by the Diamondbacks. It’s a deep and interesting look at how Martinez’s unique approach will fit with the organization.
  • Orioles hurler Chris Lee will miss at least a month with an oblique injury, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to tweet. The southpaw had been viewed as one of a variety of hurlers competing for one rotation spot, a long-relief role in the pen, and/or a place in the organizational depth chart. Instead, he’ll have to work back to health before he’s able to begin pressing for his first MLB opportunity. The 25-year-old reached Triple-A for the first time last year, pitching to a 5.11 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 over 116 1/3 innings.

Quick Hits: Cashman, Free Agency, Rebuilding Teams, Pedroia

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On this day 20 years ago, the Yankees announced Brian Cashman would take over for the resigned Bob Watson as their general manager. The 50-year-old Cashman remains in that post today, making him the game’s longest-tenured GM, and it’s no surprise he has hung around when you consider the team’s accomplishments on his watch. The Cashman-led Yankees have gone to the playoffs 16 times, earning six American League pennants and four World Series championships along the way. The fact that Cashman has lasted as long as he has in the sport’s biggest market makes his run all the more impressive, a rival GM suggested to Buster Olney of ESPN. “Twenty years, in New York,” he said. “That’s, what, 140 dog years? Two hundred years?”  Olney’s piece is worth checking out for more on Cashman first two decades as a GM, including the relationship he had with former boss and late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. 

More from around baseball as this historically slow offseason continues to plod along…

  • Tyler Kepner of the New York Times discussed this inactive winter with with a free agent who, like many other veterans, hasn’t enjoyed his trip to the open market. While commissioner Rob Manfred is zeroing in on implementing pace-of-play changes, the players themselves have bigger concerns, according to the free agent. “The players are so much more focused on what’s always been the crown jewel of our union, which is free agency, and the way that’s kind of been taken away,” he said. “It’s something you once fought and strove for — you wanted to become a free agent desperately.” Saturday looks set to pass without any major league free agent signings, continuing to leave upward of 110 players without deals.
  • The Astros, Cubs and Nationals have pulled off model rebuilds in recent years, observes Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), who goes on to rank the majors’ current rebuilding clubs based on how well they’re executing their plans. No one is doing a better job than the White Sox, Bowden opines, in part because of the recent returns they’ve received in trades for such veterans as Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Adam Eaton. The ChiSox have five top 100 prospects, per Baseball America, and three – Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech and Dane Dunning – joined the organization via those deals (as did second baseman Yoan Moncada, who has graduated from top prospect status). The other two – Alec Hansen and Luis Robert – came from the draft and international free agency, respectively, which Bowden also highlights as important avenues in which rebuilding teams must hit the jackpot.
  • Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia will sit out some of 2018 after undergoing left knee surgery in October, but there’s hope he won’t miss much time. As per his rehab schedule, Pedroia is lining up for a late-April or early May return, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe estimates. Pedroia told Cafado that he hasn’t suffered any setbacks in his rehab, adding that his “knee has responded well” to running and strength exercises. After roughly six more weeks of running and then, as Cafardo writes, “a period of agility work,” Pedroia will be able to start baseball activities. The 34-year-old franchise stalwart also explained to Cafardo that knee problems weighed on him both physically and mentally in 2017, when he appeared in just 105 games, but he’s currently pain-free.

Dustin Pedroia Undergoes Knee Surgery

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Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia underwent surgery on his left knee today, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Glove (via Twitter). The team has announced that the “cartilage restoration procedure” will keep Pedroia from game action for approximately seven months.

If he stays on schedule, then, it seems the best case is that the 34-year-old Pedroia will miss approximately the first two months of the 2018 season. He also required a procedure on the same joint last October. He was able to work back to health over the offseason, but suffered further injury after taking a hard slide and ended up dealing with inflammation over the course of the 2017 campaign.

 

Pedroia remains a key part of the Boston plans, of course. He’s slated to earn $56MM through the 2021 season under the extension he signed in the summer of 2013. It’s fair to wonder, though, whether the Sox would be best-served buttressing their infield depth for the coming season.

That being said, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski suggests to Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston that a significant move won’t be needed to account for the surgery. Given the timing and existing depth options, Dombrowski says this procedure and that of lefty Eduardo Rodriguez “do not really affect [the Red Sox’] offseason plans.” Indeed, the team does have some infielders with MLB experience — Brock Holt, Deven Marrero, Tzu-Wei Lin, Josh Rutledge, and Marco Hernandez — that could conceivably fill in, though all come with questions.

Notably, too, Dombrowski says that the team is optimistic about Pedroia’s ability to return to effectiveness. And it would surely be premature to doubt a player of Pedroia’s stature and long-lauded toughness. Indeed, there’s plenty of reason to believe he can still play at a fairly high level as he reaches his mid-thirties. Even when battling through injury in 2017, Pedroia turned in a .293/.369/.392 batting line. While that’s shy of his typical output, including his work in the prior two seasons, it still represents league-average productivity with the bat. Perhaps some of the power will return with better health.

At the same time, Pedroia’s defensive and baserunning metrics have declined quite a bit of late. Though he’s still generally valued as a positive in the field, Fangraphs’ BsR measure paints him as a significantly below-average runner. In the aggregate, given his age and injury history, there’s also cause quite some uncertainty as to Pedroia’s future outlook.

Some may wonder why it took this long for the move. Dombrowski explained, though, that the surgery was accomplished as soon as possible once it was decided upon. Understandably, Pedroia first spent some time assessing his options with doctors, as it’s not a minor procedure. Sox righty Steven Wright, who’s still working back from the same thing, detailed an “excruciating” and ultimately lengthy recover in a recent conversation with WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.

 

Red Sox Place Dustin Pedroia On 10-Day DL

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The Red Sox have announced they’ve placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 10-day DL with left knee inflammation. To take his place on the active roster, they’ve recalled lefty Robby Scott from Triple-A Pawtucket.

This is the second time in the past two weeks the Red Sox have placed Pedroia on the DL with knee inflammation. He returned from the DL last week but played just one day before the injury sidelined him again. The 33-year-old has batted .303/.378/.406 in 388 plate appearances this season. The newly acquired Eduardo Nunez generally played second base during Pedroia’s last DL stint, with Rafael Devers at third, and that appears likely to be the Red Sox’ approach again this time.

Red Sox Place Dustin Pedroia On 10-Day DL

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The Red Sox have placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 10-day DL with knee inflammation, per a club announcement. His roster spot will go to just-acquired righty Addison Reed.

Boston had been waiting for Pedroia to be seen by a specialist today, and evidently the result coming out of his check-up was to allow more time for rest. The same joint was operated on last fall, so the club will surely exercise some added caution.

That said, there’s no indication at the moment that there’s any reason for broader concern. Pedroia is still a productive player as he closes in on his 34th birthday, having recorded a .307/.381/.411 batting line with quality defensive metrics through his 85 games this year, though for the second straight year he has rated among the game’s worst baserunners.

Fortunately for the Sox, the team’s pre-deadline addition of Eduardo Nunez and promotion of Rafael Devers will allow the club to fill the void without much issue. The former has slotted in at second in Pedroia’s place over the past three games, while the latter is off to an impressive start through his first six games in the majors.

Health Notes: Pollock, Smith, E-Rod, Villar, Hughes, Zobrist, AGon, Semien, Werth, Flaherty

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Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock has suffered a new injury while on a rehab assignment, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. Pollock, who is working back from a groin strain, is now said to be day-to-day with tightness in his right quad. The severity isn’t yet known, though the presence of another lower-body muscle issue will surely cause the organization to proceed with caution. With the Snakes locked in a surprising and increasingly fascinating battle in the NL West, they will be anxious to get Pollock back, though clearly the long view is required for such an important player with such a checkered injury history.

Let’s check in on a few more injury situations from around the game:

  • The Blue Jays placed righty Joe Smith on the 10-day DL before today’s game, per a club announcement. He is dealing with shoulder inflammation. That’s a big loss for a Toronto club that has made huge strides after a woeful start to the year. Smith has been quite effective while maintaining a heavy workload; through 34 appearances, he carries a 3.41 ERA. More impressively, Smith has nearly doubled last year’s strikeout rate (13.4 K/9) while maintaining a 13.0% swinging-strike rate that dwarfs any of his prior single-season marks.
  • While the Red Sox wait to learn more about the status of second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who took a pitch to the ribcage on Sunday, the club has continued to receive good news on lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets, skipper John Farrell says that Rodriguez will face live hitters this week and possibly head out for a rehab assignment thereafter.
  • Things are clearing up for Brewers infielder Jonathan Villar as well, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets. Villar, who has struggled in the wake of a breakout 2016 season, says that his lower back is feeling so much better that he might be ready for a rehab stint soon. Milwaukee may well need a healthy and more effective Villar if it hopes to continue to outpace the rest of the NL Central.
  • In other forthcoming rehab stints, Twins righty Phil Hughes is scheduled for a start at Triple-A on Wednesday, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. It seems that he has avoided the worst-case scenario after experiencing some symptoms akin to those that led to thoracic outlet surgery. Minnesota is also giving a rehab start to lefty Hector Santiago, who seems likely to avoid a lengthy DL stint for his shoulder issue.
  • Veteran Cubs infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist got some good news, as Jeff Arnold of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. An MRI came back clean, leaving the club hopeful that the veteran will be able to return as soon as Friday. That said, Zobrist acknowledged that he still needs to test out the wrist at full speed, noting that “we’re not going to push it.”
  • Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts provided an update on first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times was among those to tweet. The veteran has received an epidural to treat his lower back issues, says Roberts, with the organization hopeful that Gonzalez will be able to return sometime around the All-Star break next month.
  • The Athletics will send shortstop Marcus Semien out on a rehab assignment later this week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. He has been participating in baseball activities to test his surgically repaired wrist, and it seems the progress is sufficient to allow him to take the next step.
  • Meanwhile, the going is somewhat slow for Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth. As Dan Kolko of MASNsport.com tweets, manager Dusty Baker says that the veteran is still not ready for baseball activities. Instead, he’s still focused on taking care of his bruised left foot.
  • The Orioles don’t appear likely to welcome back infielder Ryan Flaherty any time soon, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. His balky shoulder didn’t respond well to an attempt to ramp up a throwing program, so the team will slow things down. Were it not for the injury, Flaherty would likely have represented part of the plan for dealing with the more recent DL placement of J.J. Hardy.

Injury Notes: Cespedes, Turner, O’Day, Beltre, Pedroia, Travis

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Here’s the latest flurry of notable players leaving, joining, and (temporarily?) avoiding the disabled list…

  • Yoenis Cespedes is expected to be activated by the Mets tomorrow, manager Terry Collins tells the New York Times’ James Wagner and other reporters.  The slugger will be the 26th man on the Mets’ roster for their double-header against the Braves.  Cespedes has been sidelined since April 27 due to a hamstring strain, with the Mets saying they were being particularly careful with their star outfielder due to nagging lower-leg injuries that have bothered Cespedes dating back to last season.  Cespedes was off to a red-hot start when he was able to play, posting a .992 OPS in 75 plate appearances.
  • Justin Turner will be activated from the 10-day DL tonight, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (link to their tweet).  The third baseman has been recovering from a hamstring strain since May 19.  Turner was hitting .379/.453/.493 over 162 prior to his injury.
  • The Tigers activated catcher James McCann, who has been out of action since May 25 due to a laceration on his left hand.  McCann will be returning to a “platoon-oriented” timeshare but not exclusively so, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus told reporters (including Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press).  The left-handed Alex Avila has a whopping 1.074 OPS over 139 PA this year, so it seems likely that he’ll get the lion’s share of playing time over the right-handed hitting McCann.
  • The Orioles have placed right-hander Darren O’Day on the 10-day DL due to a right shoulder strain, the team announced.  The move is retroactive to June 7, and righty Stefan Crichton has been called up in a corresponding transactions.  O’Day is having another solid year out of Baltimore’s pen, with a 3.86 ERA, 2.42 K/BB rate and a career-high 11.2 K/9 over his 23 1/3 IP.  O’Day’s absence will further tax an Orioles bullpen that is still missing ace closer Zach Britton.
  • As expected, the Rangers officially called Jurickson Profar up from Triple-A but lefty Dario Alvarez was demoted in the corresponding move, as the club is still waiting to see on Adrian Beltre’s bad ankle.  Beltre told Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Tribune (Twitter link) that he could sit out through the weekend but be available off the bench as a pinch-hitter.  Beltre only just returned to action after spending much of the season on the DL with a calf injury, playing in seven games before suffering his ankle problem on Tuesday.
  • The Red Sox activated Dustin Pedroia off the 10-day DL, one of multiple roster moves that included first baseman Sam Travis and right-hander Brandon Workman being optioned to Triple-A and lefty Brian Johnson being called up to start tonight’s game.  Pedroia was originally thought to be in for a lengthy absence after suffering a sprained left wrist, though he’ll instead return after missing just the minimum 10 days.  Travis’ demotion is noteworthy, as he excelled (8-for-17 with a 1.115 OPS in 19 PA) in his first taste of big league action, though Boston doesn’t really have a place for him on the roster.  Both Josh Rutledge and Deven Marrero are needed for infield depth and to spell the struggling Pablo Sandoval at third, while Hanley Ramirez is currently locked into DH-only duties.

Injury Notes: Ottavino, Pedroia, Hughes, Perkins, Semien, M’s, Ross

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The Rockies placed setup man Adam Ottavino on the 10-day DL with shoulder inflammation, as Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports. That’s frightening news at first glance, but it’s not believed to be a significant issue. Per Ottavino, he could’ve continued throwing but the decision was made to “put the fire out now.” As Groke notes, Ottavino has labored through his last several outings, though he has continued to generate excellent results all year long. Carlos Estevez will come back up to take the open bullpen slot.

  • While there was initially a fair bit of concern for veteran Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, the prognosis now seems to be good. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski says that he thinks Pedroia may be back after the minimum ten-day absence, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports on Twitter. “It’s really the best-case scenario in many ways,” said Dombrowski.
  • While Phil Hughes of the Twins is experiencing some symptoms akin to those that led to thoracic outlet surgery previously, it seems that’s not the root cause this time around. As MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger provides on Twitter, a medical assessment shows that Hughes may be dealing with a build-up of scar tissue in his neck and shoulder area. He’ll undergo “a rigorous soft tissue and mobility rehab regimen in advance of beginning his throwing.”
  • Meanwhile, Twins lefty Glen Perkins is still traveling a long road back to the majors, but there are new signs of hope. As Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports, Perkins was able to face hitters for the first time in over a year. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do what I did today,” said the veteran reliever. “Coming out of it I love where I’m at physically and mentally.” Perkins still needs to work in his slider and build up arm strength, of course, but he may not be far from a rehab assignment.
  • Though he’s still a long ways off from a return, Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien has taken an important step in his return from wrist surgery, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Semien was able to throw for the first time since going under the knife, though he has still yet to take full cuts with the bat. Skipper Bob Melvin called the news “significant,” though he also noted that the organization is “not close on putting together a timetable” for Semien’s return to the majors.
  • The Mariners continue to see signs of progress from right-handers Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter links). Hernandez is ready for a sim game, while Iwakuma may not be far behind him.
  • While Tyson Ross is nearly ready for the Rangers, the club is still waiting to activate him. As MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets, Ross is expected to make one more rehab outing before re-ascending to the majors.

Red Sox Place Dustin Pedroia On Disabled List, Activate Pablo Sandoval

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1:51pm: The Red Sox have now announced that Pedroia has been placed on the DL, with Sandoval indeed being activated in his place.

1:10pm: The Red Sox will place second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 10-day disabled list with a “severe” sprain of his left wrist, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Pedroia is expected to miss at least the next two weeks and is headed for a second opinion, Abraham adds. Pablo Sandoval is expected to be activated from the disabled list in a corresponding move, per the report.

The injury to Pedroia is the latest blow to the Red Sox’ infield depth, as the team has also lost Marco Hernandez for the season (shoulder surgery) and is unsure when Brock Holt will be able to return to action due to ongoing symptoms of vertigo. Recent trades of Travis Shaw (for Tyler Thornburg) and Carlos Asuaje (part of the Craig Kimbrel package) have also thinned out Boston’s infield depth.

The 33-year-old Pedroia, who suffered the wrist injury in a recent collision at first base with Chicago’s Jose Abreu, had been off to a solid start at the plate this season. In 197 plate appearances, he’s slashed .292/.369/.380 with a pair of homers while chipping in his typically strong defensive contributions at second base. With Pedroia out through at least mid-June, the Sox can shift Deven Marrero from third base over to second base and/or give more playing time to Josh Rutledge, who has plenty of experience at second.

Injury Notes: Polanco, Pedroia, Happ, Mets, Nats, Palka

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The Pirates seemingly made it through a scare today after outfielder Gregory Polanco was carted off the field following a collision with the wall. As Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review first tweeted, Polanco escaped with only a sprained ankle. Still, the severity isn’t quite clear and may not be until the joint responds overnight. As Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets, Polanco did require a walking boot after the game.

Here are some more injury updates from around the game:

  • Some fears were seemingly put to rest for Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia after an X-ray on his wrist came back clean, as Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald was among those to report. But Pedroia, who was injured in a collision while running to first base, has yet to undergo an MRI. The team is sending him back to Boston for a closer look tomorrow morning, with his status to be assessed thereafter.
  • The Blue Jays will welcome back starter J.A. Happ from the DL tomorrow, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter. Happ, 34, was sidelined after his third start of the year with elbow inflammation. He had recorded twenty strikeouts against four walks in his first 16 innings on the year after racking up 195 frames of 3.18 ERA ball in 2016.
  • There are some updates on notable injured Mets players, courtesy of Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. Closer Jeurys Familia says he is “feeling good” and thinks he can resume throwing within about two weeks — possibly setting up a return as soon as late August. Both Steven Matz and Seth Lugo, meanwhile, will take additional rehab starts before returning to the majors. They are said to be slated for the rotation, with Robert Gsellman expected to move to the bullpen. Meanwhile, star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is looking at another week or ten days before he’s back, though the team is treading carefully. The current issue — not his hamstring, for which he originally went on the DL, but his quadriceps — is apparently tied to the injury that kept Cespedes out of action for a stretch last year.
  • As for the division-rival Nationals, the bench got some good news today. Stephen Drew made it back from the DL today after a long layoff for a hamstring strain, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. And it seems that Chris Heisey may be ready to return much more quickly than seemed likely when it was learned that he had a torn biceps tendon. Heisey is already on a rehab assignment, in fact, since it turns out he can essentially play through the injury. As manager Dusty Baker put it: “Boy, if you’re going to get hurt, I guess you gotta hurt something that you really don’t need.”
  • Twins outfield prospect Daniel Palka is out “indefinitely” after suffering a fractured left index finger, as Triple-A Rochester PR official Nate Rowan tweets. The 25-year-old has shown big-time power in the minors, but also swings and misses with some frequency. He has yet to conquer the highest level of the minors; through 171 plate appearances this year, he owns a .261/.316/.452 batting line with eight long balls.
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