Late last night, after the Red Sox feasted on a heaping serving of Yankee Pot Roast (and after I wrote my last blog entry) it was revealed that Pedey may need knee surgery. What? KNEE surgery? When did this happen? It turns out he's been nursing a sore right knee since May 16 when he landed on said knee when making a play against the O's. That, along with his "screwy" left foot have played a role in his nearly season-long scuffle at the plate. Should he need to go under the knife, his bat won't be missed as much as his Gold Glove defense (save for the spot-on Bill Buckner imitation last Saturday that was partly responsible for the game lasting 14 innings).
Which other Red Sox are aching and ailing? Here's a list:
1. Dice-K: Tommy John surgery on Friday. He's gone for the season and probably most of next season as well.
2. Rich Hill: Tommy John surgery today. At least he gets to keep his 2011 ERA of 0.
3. Bobby Jenks: He had just come off the DL last week and now he's back on, this time with an aching back.
4. Salty: In the words of Tito, "intestinal turmoil" He dodged the appendicitis bullet, so he should be back very soon and the DL shouldn't be a factor.
5. Buchholz: Another aching back, his start was skipped yesterday and his status right now is up in the air. No DL yet.
Fortunately, the Sox just got Lackey and Scoots back from the DL. Scoots' return is especially important if Pedey's knee needs fixing. He just may have got his starting job back and maybe even keep Pedey's lineup spot warm for him. A right-handed bat who has plenty of experience hitting near the top of the order, Scoots is a logical option to bat in the 2-hole. Putting Crawford second stacks three lefties in a row, as does slotting Drew or Lowrie there, with Lowrie batting from the left side more often than from the right. I can't imagine Pedey being in the lineup tonight, even if he doesn't need surgery, so it will be interesting to see who Tito bats in his spot.
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