"Dustin Pedroia said again yesterday that the broken navicular bone in his left foot has fully healed and there is no need to restrict his playing time in spring training.

But Pedroia also insisted he was ready to play last August and limped through two games before giving into the pain and undergoing season-ending surgery. He is one of the players whose default setting is to say he feels great even when that isn't necessarily the case.

The Red Sox appreciate that quality in their second baseman. But as they prepare for the season, the coaching staff trusts their eyes more than their ears.

Infield coach Tim Bogar is one of those charged with watching Pedroia, and through seven full-squad workouts he is convinced that Pedroia is telling the full truth this time.

"He is, to me, back to normal,'' Bogar said. "When I watch him move around at second base, he has a lot of energy and he's not afraid to do anything."