UTK: How Good Is 'Good News' on Dustin Pedroia Wrist Injury for Red Sox?

Good news is always good, but when it comes to medical information, "good news" can often be a term of art. People usually learn that quickly, with things like a negative X-ray being a positive outcome, but in a case like Dustin Pedroia, good news on his wrist might be relative.

Pedroia played most of last season with a sprained thumb. His injury is similar to what Josh Hamilton and Yasiel Puig are currently dealing with, but with differing severity. Hamilton's ligament was ruptured, necessitating surgery, while Pedroia's sprain was just enough to annoy him all season. Of course, it also gave an opportunity for everyone to anoint St. Grit for his play. 

Charles Krupa

Pedroia was able to play through all the way to a shiny new World Series ring, and yes, flags fly forever. But so does arthritis. While Pedroia's current issue is down in the wrist and there were worries about a fracture, there's now concern that playing through the injury has caused some sort of imbalance.

What the Red Sox have told us is that there's no fracture and no structural issue. With wrists, there's a lot of things going on in there. Sources tell me the likeliest culprit for Pedroia's current issues is inflammation in the TFC. Yes, the dreaded triangular fibrocartilage complex. The cortisone shot he got in his wrist, according to Alex Speier, points to this as well, so we'll see how he responds. 

Pedroia could be back as soon as Wednesday, but remember with wrist injuries, there's usually a drop in power in the short term. Watch to see if Pedroia has good bat control and if he adjusts his swing to compensate. There's no fantasy move here—Pedroia is a ride or die player, so you'll have to watch and hope for the best.