Pedroia makes much-anticipated return

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Where once the prospect of playing in a Grapefruit League game would have seemed monotonous to Dustin Pedroia, the veteran second baseman couldn’t have been more fired up to get out there on Thursday against the Twins.

“He’s been in full uni since like 7 [a.m.],” quipped manager Alex Cora.

The game that Pedroia loves so much was basically taken away from him in 2018, as the utter annoyance known as his left knee limited him to three games in a championship season for the Red Sox.

But on Thursday, Pedroia was back, playing his first game of Spring Training in a 12-1 loss to the Twins.

The day was short and sweet by design, but Pedroia made the most of it, handling his only fielding chance cleanly and belting a single in his lone at-bat before scoring Boston's lone run of the game.

For Pedroia, Boston’s longest-tenured player, the main joy of this day was just being back in the game.

“I rolled around in bed a lot, just thinking about it. It’s been a long time,” said Pedroia. “I’ve been through a lot. I thought about a lot of things. It’s cool.”

In the top of the first, Jake Cave hit a routine grounder, which Pedroia scooped up and fired to first base for the final out of the inning. It had to be one of the most enjoyable routine grounders he’s ever fielded.

Then came the bottom of the first, when Pedroia stepped in as the leadoff man and got a loud ovation from the appreciative crowd.

“It was great. I appreciate it so much,” said Pedroia. “I think everyone knows what I’ve been going through. It definitely pushes me towards getting back all the way and being out there every day.”

The first pitch from Kohl Stewart was a 93-mph fastball and Pedroia swung at it with gusto but missed. The entire dugout loved the fierceness of the swing.

“The guys the last couple of days were like, ‘You better swing at the first pitch.’ I haven’t seen a pitch in a game since May,” Pedroia said. “I really wasn’t going to swing at it, but I saw it up there and am like, ‘Might as well let it fly.’”

Three pitches later, Pedroia belted a single into the hole that went off the glove of shortstop Ronald Torreyes and into short left field. It looked like many hits the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year Award winner and 2008 AL MVP Award winner has had before. But this one surely had to feel more satisfying.

“He took a big hack,” said shortstop Xander Bogaerts. “Then he settled down and got a base hit. It seemed like he was just riding a bike.”

Soon after, Pedroia motored to second on a wild pitch and scored on a double by Rafael Devers.

“That was nice,” Pedroia said. “Actually I was more happy running around the bases and moving around. That was cool.”

Next up for Pedroia will be a start on Saturday against the Mets. From there, he will continue to ramp up with the goal of starting at second base on Opening Day in Seattle in three weeks.

Pedroia was told by one reporter that he sounded confident about turning that goal into a reality.

“You kind of have to be, you know. When you’re coming back from something like this, no one thinks you can do it,” Pedroia said. “If I’m not confident about it, it’s not going to happen.”

At 35 years old, Pedroia still has no doubt he can play at a high level. He just needs his body to allow him to play.

“I’m going to play good if I’m out there,” Pedroia said. “That’s the bottom line. The only thing holding me back is my knee. If we get that fine, I’ll be good.”

And even though the Red Sox won the World Series in 2018 without their fiery leader, they don’t want to have to try it again.

“His energy, his mouth, I think those are two things that we need and that we enjoy having,” said Bogaerts.