Dustin Pedroia signs an autograph before Thursday night's game. (AP)

Dustin Pedroia wanted to clear a few things up prior to his first game back off the 15-day disabled list on Thursday.

First was the well-publicized trip to the mound by Bobby Valentine in Chicago, during which multiple media outlets surmised the reason for Pedroia not participating in the conference was due to a disdain for the manager.

Pedroia offered this explanation:

“I swallowed my dip, man,” he said, referencing his chewing tobacco. “Bobby came out and right when I went to take a step I went to take my dip out and I [expletive] swallowed it. Man down. I chilled out right there.

“David [Ortiz] was playing first base and he said, ‘What the [expletive] is wrong with you?’ I told him, ‘I swallowed my dip, man.’ ”

And then there is topic of Pedroia’s interaction with Valentine.

The second baseman realizes that, like the trip the mound in Chicago, an example those wanting to define the pair’s relationship is when Pedroia offered some pointed comments toward Valentine on Patriots Day following the manager’s controversial analysis of Kevin Youkilis the night before.

“I like Bobby,” he said. “I had a relationship with [Terry Francona] over time. Me and Bobby get along great. I think the perception is that because I stood up for my teammate earlier in the year. Bobby said some things, and I talked to Bobby about that. Bobby looked at me and he said, ‘Hey, I would have said the same thing.’

“That whole thing deal was weird because it was that 10 o’clock game. So I got to the yard at 7:45 in the morning and I was the first one here and all the media came in and asked me about it. I don’t read much anymore, so I got the questions and I didn’t even read what was said before I commented, and I wish I would have done that. I told Bobby that.

“Me and Bobby have been fine. You hear all the stories about everyone’s unhappy. We’re all trying to win, man. I’m trying to win. Bobby’s trying to win. We communicate. We’re on the same page. Just because I don’t play cribbage with Bobby doesn’t mean we don’t have a good relationship. We’re all professionals and trying to accomplish the same thing. I hope that helps the perception of me and Bobby.”

Pedroia punctuated his comments with this: “Everybody wants something to talk about if something isn’t going right. That’s not the case. We’re fighting our butts off trying to win and throw a big-ass party. Bring your green hat.”