Dustin Pedroia appeared to take the side of an opposing player over one of his own teammates on Sunday, but the Boston Red Sox infielder insists the incident has not created any issues in the clubhouse.
It all started last Friday, when Pedroia had to leave a game against the Baltimore Orioles because Manny Machado slid into him spikes-high and injured his ankle. Some felt the slide was dirty, but the Red Sox did not retaliate — until two days later. In the eighth inning on Sunday, Boston reliever Matt Barnes threw a pitch near the head of Machado.
Rather than thank his teammate for grabbing his back, Pedroia immediately got Machado’s attention and assured him he did not support the apparent retaliation. On Tuesday, Pedroia was asked if he created any tension.
Pedroia on Sunday's comments and whether he was calling out teammates: 'We all talked about that. We're going to keep it in house….
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) April 25, 2017
Pedroia (cont): 'We all feel good about each other and we have each others' backs. Everybody knows how everyone feels about each other'
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) April 25, 2017
No one should ever mess around with pitches up near the head, so you can understand why Pedroia wanted to distance himself from Barnes’ decision. Still, it’s incredibly rare to see a player publicly take an opponent’s side like Pedroia did with Machado. You can see the video of how it all went down here.
Had it been a younger player who jumped to defend Machado, this would probably be an issue for the Red Sox. But Pedroia is arguably the most respected player in the clubhouse now that David Ortiz is gone. Don’t expect much to come of it.
