Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia said he is “not sure” whether he will play baseball again because of his chronically injured left knee.
Pedroia discussed his injury at Fenway Park on Monday, shortly after the Red Sox transferred him to the 60-day injured list.
Flanked by manager Alex Cora and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, Pedroia said he will shut down his recovery indefinitely in order to ponder his future.
“(I am) at a point right now where I need some time,” he said. “That’s what my status is. … Right now I know I need a break from the everyday stresses I’ve been dealing with.”
Dombrowski referred to Pedroia as a “Boston legend” and said there is no timetable associated with his return.
Pedroia acknowledged that “walking is tough” for him on some days but said he does not plan to undergo another knee surgery.
Pedroia said “time will give me the right answer if my knee can do this.”
The 2008 AL MVP had surgery on Oct. 25, 2017, and played in just three games last season. This year, he’s played in only six games, getting two singles in 20 at-bats.
Pedroia re-aggravated his left knee in a game at Yankee Stadium on April 17 and was put on the 10-day IL with left knee irritation.
He’s started and stopped rehab assignments a few times before he removed himself from a game at Double-A Portland last Friday due to soreness.