Skip to content

Pedroia not ruling out return, but favoring quality of life

Zachary Roy / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Longtime Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia isn't ruling out a return to baseball, but it's not his top priority.

Pedroia, who's recovering from season-ending knee surgery he underwent earlier this month, said he could play again but his quality of life is the most important thing at this point, according to Chirs Cotillo of MassLive. He admitted that he could hardly throw batting practice to his kids without feeling pain.

"It was tough," Pedroia said. "There was a couple times I threw batting practice to my kids and the next three days, I was not moving. When you can't do things like that, it stinks. We had to do something. This was the next step. Obviously, going forward, throughout my life I'm going to have more surgeries on my knee. Hopefully, for right now, this can bide me time for what leads ahead."

The 36-year-old Pedroia will be on crutches for two more weeks before starting a 12-week strengthening program, Cotillo adds. He's currently in Denver with the Red Sox as they start a two-game series against the Colorado Rockies.

At the time of his surgery - the fifth on his left knee - Pedroia was hopeful about his eventual return to Boston's lineup in 2020.

Pedroia hasn't made much of an impact in recent seasons due to injuries. He's been limited to just nine contests over the last two campaigns after appearing in 105 games in 2017.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox