Dustin Pedroia will not be ready for the start of next season, and the Red Sox are now stuck between the urgency of short-term need and uncertainty of long-term commitment.
Pedroia underwent cartilage restoration surgery on his left knee Wednesday, and the team announced Pedroia is expected to return to games in approximately seven months, which would be the end of May.
The Red Sox are going to need a different second baseman until then, and they might very well need a dependable backup even after Pedroia returns.
“Feel we can handle the second base position internally,” Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in an email.