Former A.L. MVP Dustin Pedroia transferred to 60-day IL with recurring knee pain

The Boston Red Sox won’t have four-time All-Star and former American League MVP Dustin Pedroia back in the lineup any time soon.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports shared that Pedroia has been transferred to the 60-day injured list, and that he would be holding a press conference later on Monday.

Heartbreaking to see Dustin Pedroia, the heart and soul of the #RedSox franchise, unable to recover from his recurring knee pain. He has been transferred to the 60-day injured list and will address the media at press conference today to discuss what lies ahead for future.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 27, 2019

Some might speculate that this is the end of the road for the former MVP. However, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe believes Pedroia is not yet ready to abandon his career.

My understanding is Pedroia is stepping back to reassess the situation but not abandoning his career or anything like that. Will be similar to last year when he went home. Sox now have the roster spot if they need it. He’s getting his salary regardless.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) May 27, 2019

Pedroia has been out of commission since April 17. He was forced to make an early exit from a rehab start with Double-A Portland on Friday due to his knee feeling “cranky.”

Cora says Pedroia’s knee felt “cranky” yesterday. He won’t play this weekend and will be re-evaluated in Boston on Monday.

This is a setback. Another “red flag” for Pedroia.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) May 25, 2019

It’s been a brutal couple of seasons for Pedroia since the start of 2018. He’s managed to appear in a grand total of nine games. This year, appearing in six, he has a .100 average with just two hits in 20 at-bats.