Red Sox' Dustin Pedroia to miss 2 months after knee surgery

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia underwent cartilage restoration surgery on his left knee, as Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe first reported on Wednesday. Pedroia is expected to need at least seven months to recover, so even in the best-case scenario, he’ll likely miss the first two months of the 2018 season.

Pedroia, 34, is viewed by many as a borderline Hall of Fame candidate when his career is over, and he played well when he was on the field in 2017, hitting .293/.369/.392 with seven homers over 463 plate appearances. But Pedroia was limited to just 105 games due to a wrist sprain and recurring knee inflammation, and this will be the second straight offseason that he’s had surgery on his left knee.

That means Boston might need to bolster its infield depth this offseason, as Eduardo Nunez is set to hit free agency while Deven Marrero and Brock Holt have been less than impressive at the plate when given everyday playing time.

Pedroia is the third Red Sox player to undergo surgery since the team was eliminated from the playoffs on October 9. Hanley Ramirez underwent a minor shoulder procedure and Eduardo Rodriguez underwent right knee reconstruction surgery, both on October 17.