After Solid First Game With Greenville, Pedroia Hopes To Return To Red Sox For Home Opener
BOSTON (CBS) --Dustin Pedroia took his spot at second base at Fluor Field for the Greenville Drive on Thursday night, the same field he made his pro debut on back in 2006. As he did 13 years ago, Pedroia doesn't foresee a long stay down in South Carolina with Boston's Single-A affiliate.
Pedroia played in his first rehab game of the season as he continues to work his way back from the left knee surgery. He played all nine innings for the Drive on Thursday and went 2-for-3 at the plate, a big step in the right direction for the former MVP.
He'll play again Friday before getting a day off on Saturday, and be back on the field Sunday afternoon. While he had fun in his old stomping grounds on Thursday, he's extremely eager to return to Fenway Park and the Red Sox lineup.
"There's a certain amount of innings that they wanted me to get to and make sure my knee responds well to it," Pedroia said after Thursday's game. "That's what we're doing, and everything's worked out great so far."
Pedroia did his damage at the plate with a single in the fourth inning and a double in the eighth, accounting for two of the Drive's four hits in a 1-0 loss to the West Virginia Power. In the field, Pedroia handled a pair of pop-outs and a ground-out in the ninth inning. More importantly, he was part of a 6-4-3 double play in the fifth.
"It felt good. Another step in the right direction," Pedroia added about his outing. "Almost there."
There were 7,551 fans in the stands to watch Pedroia and the Drive on Thursday, the largest crowd to ever watch a game at Fluor Field. It broke the previous attendance record that was set in June 2017, when Tim Tebow played against Greenville.
Pedroia hopes that he'll be playing in front of a much larger crowd by next week. If he continues to trend in the right direction and there is no lingering soreness or issues with his knee, Pedroia could be back in the Red Sox lineup for Tuesday's home opener at Fenway Park.
"That would mean a lot," Pedroia said. "That would be pretty cool."
