BOSTON (AP) - The Red Sox will wait another day to get Dustin Pedroia back in the lineup.
Manager John Farrell said after Tuesday night’s game was rained out that his injured second baseman would have been able to play after missing the previous two games. Instead, Pedroia will return when the Red Sox meet the New York Yankees on Wednesday.
“I think we’ve all been around Pedey long enough to know that there’s going to be games where he doesn’t feel physically 100 percent, but he’s played a high number of them,” Farrell said. “A high pain threshold, strong competitor, ready to get back on the field.”
Pedroia has been out since he was spiked in the left leg during a late slide by Manny Machado on Friday. The Orioles third baseman apologized, and Pedroia said he didn’t think Machado was trying to hurt him.
Still, Red Sox pitchers buzzed Machado repeatedly on Sunday - first Eduardo Rodriguez, throwing three tight pitches at the knees, and then reliever Matt Barnes, throwing one behind Machado’s head. Barnes was suspended four games, but he can play pending an appeal.
After the Barnes pitch, Pedroia was seen on TV explaining, “It’s not me” to Machado. He also was critical of the high and inside pitches thrown by his teammate.
“I had nothing to do with that. That’s not how you do that, man,” Pedroia said afterward. “I’m sorry to him and his team. If you’re going to protect guys, you do it right away.”
With the retirement of David Ortiz, Pedroia is the longest-tenured member of the Red Sox and the de facto leader. But after he took sides with an opponent over a teammate, Orioles reliever Zach Britton and others questioned his leadership.
Barnes said he didn’t need an apology for what appeared to be Pedroia siding with an opponent over a fellow Red Sox player: “Absolutely not. Dustin’s a great teammate.”
On Tuesday, Pedroia said the team talked about the incident but wouldn’t divulge what was said.
“We all have each other’s backs,” he said. “Everybody knows how everybody feels about each other. We’re pretty excited about the group we have.”
Tuesday’s rained-out game has been rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on July 16. Reigning Cy Young winner Rick Porcello will face New York’s Luis Severino on Wednesday instead.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: SS Didi Gregorius was 2 for 3, including a solo homer, for Class A Tampa against Clearwater. Recovering from a strained right shoulder, Gregorius played seven innings in his third game at shortstop. He is 6 for 13 (.462) in four games overall at the Florida State League.
Red Sox: 3B Pablo Sandoval was placed on the 10-day DL with a sprained right knee, a move retroactive to Monday. INF Josh Rutledge, who had been on injury rehab assignment with Double-A Portland following his recovery from a strained left hamstring, was activated from the 10-day DL.
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