CHICAGO -- One day after Dustin Pedroia sprained his left wrist, the best possible news would have been if he was cleared to resume playing immediately for the Boston Red Sox.
But it's safe to say this is the next-best-case scenario.
Pedroia was examined Tuesday in Boston by Dr. Matthew Leibman and underwent an MRI that didn't reveal torn ligaments or other structural damage. But given Pedroia's history of wrist injuries, including September 2014 surgery by Leibman, the Red Sox placed the second baseman on the 10-day disabled list to give him the best chance of healing.
"It might have been a shorter period knowing Pedey would want to come back," Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. "But talking to [manager] John [Farrell] and talking to [athletic trainer] Brad Pearson, we felt we were much better off keeping him the 10 days and letting him be healthy rather than pushing it and maybe nagging him the rest of the season."
The Sox reinstated third baseman Pablo Sandoval from the disabled list. Sandoval has been sidelined since April 25 with a sprained right knee.
Dombrowski said team doctors believe Pedroia will be ready to play in 10 days. Pedroia was less willing to make that guarantee.
"[Leibman] didn't really say that. They don't usually try to play God or anything," said Pedroia, whose MRI also was reviewed by a surgeon in Arizona. "Whenever it feels good and the swelling is out of there, and I can grip a bat, we'll play."
Regardless, it seems likely Pedroia will have to play through some discomfort in his wrist upon his initial return. He has done so in the past, often resulting in a diminished capacity to drive the ball. In 2014, for instance, he posted a .376 slugging percentage and .712 OPS, far below his career .443 and .809 marks.
Due to the expected short-term nature of Pedroia's injury, Dombrowski said the Red Sox will use internal replacements. Josh Rutledge is expected to be the primary fill-in at second base. Sandoval, who wasn't in the lineup Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox, is expected to play mostly against right-handed pitchers, while Deven Marrero figures to see time at third base against tough lefties and as a late-inning defensive replacement.
Dombrowski said the rash of injuries to infielders has not prompted the Red Sox to accelerate the timetable for top prospect Rafael Devers, a 20-year-old third baseman who is batting .288 with eight homers and an .859 OPS at Double-A Portland.
"I'd love to say yes in some ways because he's such a good player and such a good prospect," said Dombrowski, noting that Devers has been in "a little bit of a slump" (5-for-37 over his past nine games). "I think you have to do what's good for him."
It's also too early, Dombrowski said, to seriously begin discussing trades. The market has not yet taken shape, with most teams still believing they can contend for at least a wild-card berth.
For now, the Red Sox will count on Sandoval to help stabilize third base, a position of weakness, both offensively and defensively, for most of the season. Sandoval was batting .213 with three homers, 10 RBIs, a .646 OPS and four errors in 17 games before injuring his knee.
"In spring training, we felt absolutely great about the situation. Early in the season, he ended up playing so-so, I guess is the way to describe it," Dombrowski said. "There were some encouraging signs and then there were some other signs that weren't as positive as during spring training."