Pitchers and catchers don't report to Fort Myers for more than another month. But this week, something will take place in Arizona that could be as significant as anything that happens once spring training begins:

Dustin Pedroia is set to start to running and testing his surgically-repaired left knee.

Pedroia underwent significant micro-fracture surgery in November of 2017. He was activated in late May last season, played a total of three games and was shut down again, sent home to Arizona, and though the Sox didn't announce it until months later, underwent a second arthroscopic procedure in August.

What Pedroia needed, the Red Sox said last season, was more time. Time to heal, to recover from the surgery he initially underwent. (As a parallel, pitcher Steven Wright had the same surgery before Pedroia in 2017, and though he plays a far less demanding position, had several flare-ups during last season, including a setback hours after being placed on the Division Series roster which resulted in him being removed from the roster).

Both the Sox and Pedroia remain hopeful that the additional time off and a winter's worth of rehab and strengthening will do the trick.

"Listen, I'm in a lot better position right now than I was last year,'' Pedroia told BostonSportsJournal.com. "I'm very

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