According to Tom Verducci of SI.com, Boston Red Sox and Team USA second baseman Dustin Pedroia suffered a strained muscle near his rib cage during a workout on Friday. Pedroia has left Team USA and returned to Ft. Myers to have it examined.
It doesn’t sound as though it’s something too serious but this is why a lot of teams don’t want their players playing in the WBC.
Update: Dustin Pedroia filed a blog entry for WEEI.com explaining what happened.
While taking batting practice Friday I felt some soreness in my left oblique, but nothing to make me think that my availability for Saturday’s game against Puerto Rico would be in jeopardy. Then, after taking some swings off a tee, I was doing flips with Reggie Smith tossing the ball to me, and all of a sudden I felt a kind of shooting pain. I hadn’t felt anything like this before. Last year I had a sore right oblique during the American League Championship Series, but it was nothing like this.
Shane Victorino was standing next to me and after he saw me grimace he suggested I stop, reminding me about the priority (which is the coming season). The next thing I know I’m standing in front of a bunch of media in street clothes explaining what happened, and then trying to find my ride back to Fort Myers.
Pedroia has been removed from the Team USA roster and been replaced by Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles.
Pedroia leaves Team USA to have strained muscle examined [SI.com]
Back to Fort Myers [WEEI.com]
