It has been an important stretch in Bill Hall’s career.

A player never wishes injury on one of his teammates, and certainly, Hall is no different. The 30-year-old is well aware of the impact that Dustin Pedroia has on the Red Sox lineup, and he, like the rest of his teammates, is looking forward to the 2008 MVP’s return.

That said, this has been a stretch that will have a big influence on Hall’s future. Since Pedroia broke his foot on June 25, Hall has had an opportunity to be an everyday player for the first time since he was relegated to a bench role at the start of last June.

It comes at an opportune time, given that Hall will become a free agent following this season (given the virtual certainty that the Sox will decline his $9.25 million option, and pay his $500,000 buyout). And Hall has been doing his best to take advantage of it.

Since Pedroia went on the disabled list, Hall has played in 21 of the Red Sox’ last 22 games, starting 20 of them (18 at second base). In that time, he has been a power threat, even if an inconsistent one. He has delivered some key hits, most notably with the solo homer (his second in as many nights) that provided the margin of difference for the Sox on Friday in their win over the Mariners.

Though Hall has a .239 average and .304 OBP since June 26, he has a hearty .507 slugging mark, a reflection of the five homers he’s hit in the four weeks that the Sox have endured without Pedroia. He is tied for the team lead in homers during the stretch, and ranks second on the club with 12 RBI.

“I feel like I’ve kind of shown [the ability to be an everyday player again]. Obviously I’ve got to keep it up. It’s all about being consistent. But I’ve shown that if you put me out there, I can produce again,” Hall said earlier in the month. “If I’m getting consistent at-bats at the plate, I feel more comfortable and I have an opportunity to do more damage, have a chance to drive the ball a lot more than if I’m playing occasionally.”

Hall’s career appeared to be in a downward spiral. In 2006, he had a career year with the Brewers, hitting .270 with a .345 OBP, .553 slugging mark and .899 OPS, along with 35 homers. But while it was natural to expect the player to improve on – or at least sustain – his performance as a 26-year-old, his batting average, OBP, slugging and OPS went down in each of the next three seasons.

Last year, he hit .201/.258/.338/.596. As a result, he lost his everyday job with the Brewers, and was traded to the Mariners for non-prospect Ruben Flores. Hall was traded to the Sox this past offseason (along with minor leaguer Miguel Celestino in exchange for first baseman Casey Kotchman) both because his positional versatility made him a good fit for the Boston bench but also because the money sent by the M’s to cover most of his $8.4 million salary made him appealing for accounting purposes.

Entering the season, the Sox planned to employ Hall primarily against left-handers, owing to his struggles in recent years against righties. But he has leveled out his performance this year, with some striking similarities between what he’s done against right- and left-handed pitching.

vs. RHP: .248/.325/.407/.732, 5 HR, 12 BB, 29 SO

vs. LHP: .213/.312/.488/.799, 5 HR, 12 BB, 29 SO

“My whole thing was they said I couldn’t hit right-handers. Obviously, I’m getting more opportunities against righties [and performing],” said Hall. “It’s a weird game once you get labeled, but I think I’m slowly but surely pushing that label away.”

Hall has shown the ability to deliver some thump at the plate. In the field, it has been a mixed bag. His foremost attribute is simply his ability to play a number of positions.

He has now appeared at seven different spots on the field, including pitcher. He has appeared everywhere except catcher and first base. That versatility is unquestionably meaningful in a team’s attempts to build a roster; certainly, in the case of the Sox, that has been the case.

Yet he is viewed as merely adequate – if that – at most of his defensive positions. He has a plus arm, but his range has diminished over the last few years, which was part of the reason why the Brewers moved him off of shortstop.

Of course, his ninth-inning throwing error on Thursday – one that almost cost the Sox the game, allowing the tying run to score amidst Seattle’s game-tying, five-run rally – was glaring. That said, while Hall has fallen short of Pedroia’s Gold Glove standard at the position, his overall performance at second has been solid.

John Dewan’s Plus/Minus ratings suggest that Hall has actually been slightly better than average when evaluating the balls in play that he’s converted into outs at second base. Overall, the Sox are pleased with what the 30-year-old has been able to provide in place of their starter.

“I actually think he’s done a pretty good job,” said Sox manager Terry Francona. “He’s made some errors. … That happens. When you lose Pedroia, you can’t replace Pedroia with Pedroia. That’s not how it works. I think he’s done a really good job for us.”

Next year, Hall hopes, his play during this stretch might convince someone to give him an opportunity to resume playing everyday. He is positioned to talk to clubs with needs at any number of positions in the infield or outfield, in hopes of once again finding a role.

“Obviously, I do want to be an everyday player again. I feel like I’ve got a lot of baseball left in me. I’m not on my last legs. I’m just 30,” said Hall. “The situation is going to dictate all of that stuff. But I’m not worried about that right now. I’m just worried about helping this team.”