Pedroia should know soon whether surgery needed

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia said his injured left foot isn’t healing quickly and surgery may be required.

Pedroia will undergo more tests when the Red Sox return in a week from a trip, and then a decision on surgery will be made.

If there is no marked improvement, Pedroia said there will be “no choice” but to have a procedure to insert a screw into a bone that was broken June 25.

“If I’m not feeling any better and it shows that it’s not healing more, I’ve got to go have the surgery,” Pedroia said.

Pedroia briefly played after spending seven weeks on the disabled list, but was placed back on the disabled list Aug. 20 with soreness in the foot.

“It’s upsetting, but I just want to get to next week and go on from there,” Pedroia said. “It hasn’t been healing that well this whole time.”

If surgery is needed, the Red Sox expect Pedroia to be ready for spring training.

“A decision will be made, probably, pretty soon after we get home,” Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said.

• Francona also said right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, scratched from his start Wednesday by back stiffness, is scheduled to pitch next Thursday against Baltimore.

• Catcher Jason Varitek continues making progress in his workout program for a broken right foot. Varitek, sidelined since July 1, likely would need a minor-league rehab assignment before returning.

“He’s doing really well,” Francona said. “I don’t know the timetable. We’ll wait and see the next couple of days. He would have to be cleared before he could go on rehab.”

• Reliever Hideki Okajima, out with a strained right hamstring, threw 30 pitches off a bullpen mound. The left-hander could soon return from the disabled list.

• Outfielder Mike Cameron underwent surgery for a lower abdominal strain. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (lower right leg infection) and infielder Eric Patterson (strained neck) were scheduled to start rehab assignments with Triple-A Pawtucket.

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