2015 Red Sox: From Worst to First to Worst to First?
By Chris Jones
Dustin Pedroia MUST stay Healthy
Sep 1, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) looks on from the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into 2015, the Red Sox will likely still be a team filled with youth, and they will need a leader on the field and in the clubhouse like Dustin Pedroia.
When healthy, Pedroia provides a constant threat both offensively and at second base, but injuries have always seemed to hamper his production in the past couple seasons. He was second on the team in total hitting with a .278 average in 2014, but was slowed, and eventually shut down, for a left wrist injury that had been bothering him all season.
In the World Series run last season, Pedroia played in all but two regular season games, hitting for a .301 average with nine home runs and 84 RBI.
It seems like Pedroia will be able to make a full recovery, and will be fully healthy and ready for the season next year. For the 2015 Boston squad to have any major postseason success, Pedroia must be one of the key components.