Dustin Pedroia Set To Miss Six Weeks With Fractured Left Foot

On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox have activated second baseman Dustin Pedroia from the disabled list. Prior to hitting the DL with a fractured foot, he had hit 12 home runs with an .871 OPS.

Over the past six weeks, second base duties have largely fallen to Bill Hall, who had managed to smack nine home runs and maintain an .837 OPS in his stead. In addition to Pedroia’s bat, the Red Sox also figure to benefit from his fielding -- he’s only committed two errors in 2010, good for a .994 fielding percentage. With the Sox still in the playoff hunt, they’ll need every edge they can get.

Lest anyone think that Dustin Pedroia might be able to return right quick from a fractured foot, here’s Peter Abraham to spit on your dreams:

Pedroia will be re-examined on Monday, but the likelihood is that he’s done for a month and a half. Bill Hall has started Boston’s last two games at second base, and Eric Patterson, of course, is another option.

Faced with the unfortunate absence of Dustin Pedroia for at least a little while, the Red Sox were in need of some depth in the infield. Depth they’ve now acquired in the person of Eric Patterson:

The 27 year old Patterson was recently designated for assignment by the Oakland A’s after hitting just .204 over 111 trips to the plate. While his Major League OPS is just .641 over parts of four seasons, he’s had much better success in AAA, and he’s experienced at both second base and in the outfield.

Following Dustin Pedroia’s injury on Friday night, his foot was so swollen that it was difficult for team doctors to deliver a clear prognosis of the injury. On Saturday, though, NESN reports that the injury is a fractured foot, and that Pedroia is taking a trip to the 15-day disabled list.

The term “non-displaced fracture” is used to describe a fracture in which the bones have not fallen out of alignment. It’s a bit of good news in this situation, as non-displaced fractures normally don’t require surgery.

For more on Pedroia and the Sox, check in with SB Nation’s Red Sox blog, Over the Monster.