"Dustin Pedroia is comfortable enough to play the remainder of the season. But the Red Sox second baseman said yesterday that he plans to have the stainless steel screw in his left foot removed once the team has played its final game.

"I'm good to go right now,'' he said. "I'll find a way to get through this year and right after the last game it's coming out. It's kind of annoying.''

Pedroia had surgery in August to repair a broken navicular bone. The screw expedited the healing and assured he would be ready to play this season. But there is still discomfort.

"Sometimes I can feel it just walking around,'' Pedroia said. "It's on the side of my foot and I can feel it when I wear dress shoes or when it's cold. It's one of those things where I can't wait to get it out.''

Pedroia said the same surgeon who put in the screw, George Theodore, will take it out.

"I'll walk out of there after I get it done,'' Pedroia said. "I won't be able to run for four weeks, which is normal anyway after the season. I'll just wait for that hole to heal up and I'll be fine.

"It's pretty simple, a small incision and they'll take it out. Then I'll throw that thing away.''

Aceves on the way

The Sox will make their first roster move of the season today when they call up righthander Alfredo Aceves from Triple A Pawtucket, according to a major league source. He will replace Matt Albers, who is headed for the disabled list with a sore lat muscle behind his shoulder.

Albers has thrown two scoreless innings in two appearances this season, allowing two walks and striking out three. Aceves, 28, was one of the last cuts of spring training. He was 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 outings for the Yankees last season. He is 14-1, 3.21 in 59 career appearances over parts of three seasons with New York."