Not one to wait for doctor's orders or medical clearance, Dustin Pedroia has declared himself ready to return to the Red Sox' lineup, saying on Sunday, "I'm cleared."
Pedroia, who has been out since June 25 with a broken bone in his left foot, spent the weekend with Pawtucket, playing in two rehab games. He went 1-for-3 on Saturday and 0-for-3 on Sunday. He is still on track to return to Boston for Tuesday nights game against the Angels.
"I haven't been 100 percent all year, and I've done pretty well,'' Pedroia said.
And with the Sox struggling to stay alive in the playoff chase, he can't get back into the lineup soon enough.
"I got enough [rehab work],'' he said. "We don't have time for [more]. We're in the middle of a pennant race. I've got to try to get back in there. I'll figure it out.
"We've got a lot of games left, and we're going to make our run at it.''
His boastful confidence didn't stop there, either.
"Everybody in the clubhouse feels we can win. We don't need to prove anything to anybody. We've had guys fight through it all year. Frankly we don't give a [expletive] what anyone thinks. We're trying to win games, and that's the attitude we have.''
Pedroia added: "Jump on the wagon now because it's going to be a fun ride."