Dustin Pedroia, who left yesterday’s game after jamming his right thumb, is absent from the Red Sox’s starting lineup tonight.
He’s considered day-to-day and it’s possible Pedroia could make an appearance off the bench, but in the meantime Nick Punto is starting at second base and batting ninth against Justin Verlander and the Tigers.
Pedroia had started each of the Red Sox’s first 48 games, hitting .295 with five homers and an .800 OPS.
