Pedroia: 'I'm a freak healer. I heal great'

The Red Sox released a formal statement just after placing second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 15-day disabled list with a right thumb injury. The team made a point of noting that this injury is new and unrelated to the torn adductor on the same thumb earlier this season. That injury, according to the team, has healed. Pedroia injured the thumb diving for a pop fly single to shallow right field in the fifth inning of Tuesday's loss in Oakland. 

"Dustin Pedroia hyperextended his right thumb on July 3, 2012," the statement read. "He was examined by the Red Sox medical staff and an MRI was performed. Dustin sustained an injury to the volar plate of his right thumb. Dustin will be treated conservatively with a brief period of immobilization. The previous injury to his right thumb adductor muscle has completely healed. This was confirmed by MRI."

Pedroia was placed on the disabled list retroactive to Wednesday while Pedro Ciriaco was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to take his place. 

Pedroia said he wasn't surprised that his previous injury had completely healed, citing his recent production at the plate as an example of the progress.

"My other injury is healed. It's 100 percent healed, and I could tell because I was hitting balls in the air to the pull-side. That's a big thing because it means my bat speed is fine," he said. "That's the part that's frustrating. I was about to get on a huge run the rest of the way, like I always do, and this happens. But there is still a lot of games left, I'll heal this thing up, get out there and it will make a huge difference.

"I'm a lizard. I heal while I play. I'm a freak healer. I heal great."

The MRI of Pedroia's thumb was being examined by hand specialists Dr. Donald Sheridan and Dr. Thomas Graham Friday for second opinions.

"It’s just a bad break. I don’t know," he said. "I’m pretty frustrated by it. You work so hard in the offseason to prevent injury and you get a couple of freak accidents, same thumb. It stinks. I’ll be fine. I’ll produce in a major way this season to help our team, I promise you guys that."

For more, visit the Red Sox team page at weei.com/redsox [1] and the Full Count [2] blog.