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SAN FRANCISCO
Additional tests taken on Dustin Pedroia showed that the Red Sox second baseman has a nondisplaced fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot, manager Terry Francona said Saturday.
The Sox placed Pedroia on the 15-day disabled list and recalled infielder Angel Sanchez from Pawtucket. Sanchez arrived Saturday morning; Bill Hall is in the lineup at second base for the Sox in Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants and is expected to assume the bulk of playing time in Pedroia's absence, barring a trade.
The injury showed up on a CT scan and MRI taken of the foot, Francona said.
"I'm upset,' said Pedroia, who was on crutches, his foot in a walking boot. "It's pretty tough. I'll try to get back in there and heal as fast as possible.'
The Sox made no estimates of how long Pedroia will be out, but studies have indicated that in the vast majority of cases, it takes six weeks to heal, the foot placed in a nonweight bearing molded cast. Philadelphia Flyers hockey player Jeff Carter sustained a similar injury this spring and missed nearly two months.
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"We don't know the extent yet,' Francona said. "I don't know that we have parameters. When we know the severity of it, then we'll have [an idea].
"I think anybody who's been around Dustin would bet on him being quicker than anybody humanly possible healing.'
Pedroia, asked what he was told about how long he will be out, said, "I don't know, I'm not really thinking about that right now.'
Hard to believe that wouldn't be the first thing he'd want to know.
"I could feel fine in two weeks and play, or I can't walk until six weeks,' he said. "We don't know. I don't really know that.
"In the past, I've healed pretty quick. Hopefully I do that this time.'
Pedroia said there has been some conversation about placing a pin in the foot to assist healing, but any decision will await an examination by the Sox medical staff when the team returns to Boston Monday.
The navicular bone is a bone at the top of the midfoot. Friday night, Pedroia fouled a ball off his foot in the third inning, remained in the game for one pitch -- he drew a walk from Giants pitcher Jonathan Sanchez -- but was removed when he could only hobble down to first base.
"I'm disappointed,' Francona said. "The level of my disappointment is not going to make him heal quicker.
"I felt bad for him. He come in today, and he's already wanting to know who's going to play second. I've never seen a kid care more about a team. All the things I've said for the past three years, they all still ring true. This kid is as a legit player and person as you're ever going to find.
"Because when things go bad, you see people's true colors. And his true colors came out today. He's so upset because he knows he helps us win. So we need to find a way to win.'
It's a major blow to the Red Sox, who began the day tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for second place in the AL East, three games behind the New York Yankees. Pedroia hit three home runs Thursday night, including a tiebreaking shot in the 10th inning, and went 5 for 5 with five RBIs in a victory at Colorado.Pedroia had hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games since June 10, batting .491 (26 for 53) with four home runs during that stretch. He also was hitting .374 in June after a .213 May.
"That part's tough," Pedroia said. "Freak accidents happen. We'll wait for everybody to get back healthy and we'll take off. We've got a lot of really good players. Hopefully we'll be fine."Francona said he will make out his lineup largely based on matchups and who might need rest at other positions."Some of this is going to depend on health and how our outfielders are doing," Francona said.Also on Saturday, Josh Beckett threw a simulated game of about 70 total pitches, including warmup tosses. The right-hander is on the 15-day disabled list after straining his lower back on a slippery mound in Yankee Stadium on May 18. The next step could be facing hitters as soon as Thursday.
"He did really well," Francona said. "They were really pleased."
