Red Sox Journal: Pedroia out a few more days with inflammation

BOSTON — While the Red Sox and Dustin Pedroia braced for worst-case news about his left knee, that did not happen on Tuesday and he is eventually expected to return.

"Everything about the surgery is fine," manager Alex Cora said. "He just has some inflammation. I was talking to him during the game. It’s kind of like with David [Price]. After he saw the doctor, at least he can calm down and get treatment [...]

BOSTON — While the Red Sox and Dustin Pedroia braced for worst-case news about his left knee, that did not happen on Tuesday and he is eventually expected to return.

“Everything about the surgery is fine,” manager Alex Cora said. “He just has some inflammation. I was talking to him during the game. It’s kind of like with David [Price]. After he saw the doctor, at least he can calm down and get treatment and hopefully he’ll be with us sooner rather than later.”

Pedroia is expected to begin treatment Wednesday and should be back in a couple of days, according to Cora.

Pomeranz on goes DL

Drew Pomeranz is the latest addition to the disabled list. He has biceps tendinitis, something he came down with supposedly after his start in Houston last Thursday. Pomeranz’s DL time has been backdated to June 2.

Brandon Workman was recalled from Pawtucket to take Pomeranz’s place on the roster. Workman will be used in relief.

Cora said aftyer Tuesday's game that Pawtucket left-hander Jalen Beeks would be promoted to make his big league debut for Thursday’s game against Detroit. Beeks has racked up 80 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings for the PawSox this season.

All-Star candidate

The campaign to make Mitch Moreland an All-Star began on Tuesday night with Cora saying, “I was looking at numbers around the league. I hate to look ahead, but the way things are going he should be a guy who’s playing in Washington in a month and a half.”

Moreland is having the best offensive season of his career, including a batting average about 50 points higher than his career average. He started fast last year and tailed off, but that was largely — the Sox think — because he played much of the time with a broken toe.

Vazquez in lineup

Cora reversed course on Tuesday night’s starting catcher, which he had hinted would be Blake Swihart. Instead, Christian Vazquez was behind the plate for Boston with Steven Wright on the mound.

“He had a big swing this weekend,” said Cora of Vazquez, who homered in Houston. “He’s been working hard. I don’t think it’s fair for Blake to go out there and catch a knuckleballer for seven innings. He will catch this week. I’m not going to tell you when, but he will catch a game this week.”

Homegrown talent

With Workman replacing Pomeranz on the 25-man roster, 14 of the Red Sox’ active players have never played for any major-league team other than Boston. Nine of those players were acquired via the amateur draft.

The Red Sox’ disabled list payroll is up to $30,631,000 and they are paying players off the roster — Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Allen Craig, Rusney Castillo — more than $50 million.

Workman was assigned No. 44, a change from the No. 67 he wore in his first three seasons in a Boston uniform. Chili Davis wore 44 during his three years as Red Sox batting coach. The last Boston player with 44 was Jackie Bradley Jr. in 2013.

Record pace

J.D. Martinez is way ahead of Dick Stuart’s pace as he attempts to become just the 10th Red Sox batter to hit 30 or more home runs in his debut season for Boston. Stuart holds the record with 42 in 1963, his first year in a Sox uniform.

Martinez hit his 20th in the first inning on Tuesday night. It was Boston’s 61st game of the year. Stuart hit his 20th on July 24, 1963 in Boston's 96th game.