Pedroia on fast track

CLEVELAND -- Dustin Pedroia was drafted last June, joined the Red Sox system midsummer as a shortstop, and hit .400 at Single A Augusta and .336 at Single A Sarasota. He began this season at Double A Portland at a new position, second base, and was hitting .324 after homering Tuesday night, at which time he received the news: Pack and report to Triple A Pawtucket.

Quite an ascension for the club's top pick in the 2004 draft (second round, 65th overall).

''We had been planning for an All-Star break move [to Pawtucket], but with Edgar Renteria's wrist a little sore we wanted to see sooner rather than later how he'd adjust to a higher level," said Sox general manager Theo Epstein, who watched Pedroia play in person Tuesday, though the decision to promote the 21-year-old was made Monday. ''There are no immediate plans to bring him to the big-league level. He's got some development ahead of him."

Pedroia, in his year as a minor leaguer, has adjusted remarkably well at the plate. His most telling offensive statistic: In 108 career minor league games he has 48 extra-base hits and just 33 strikeouts. Pedroia conceivably could provide an enticing alternative to Ramón Vázquez as a utility middle infielder later this season, though the Sox sound unlikely to call up Pedroia before September, unless to fill in for an injured player.

Pedroia, a native Californian, started at second base and batted second last night for Pawtucket (he went 1 for 4 with a double and scored the tying run in a 4-3 win over Durham), and his addition coincided with some shuffling. Also yesterday, the PawSox dealt infielder Tim Hummel to St. Louis. Hummel had been sharing shortstop duties with Luis Figueroa. Alejandro Machado, who had been starting at second base, was expected to shift to shortstop full time to accommodate Pedroia.

At the time of his promotion, Pedroia was among the Eastern League's most productive hitters -- .324 average, 19 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, and 40 RBIs in 66 games. He's adjusted well to second base, and has turned the double play well.

Was he surprised at the promotion?

''Yeah, a little bit," Pedroia said by phone yesterday afternoon. ''They were kind of like, 'Get packed up and head down the road.' It's been a hectic last 12 hours. It's kind of a shock to me, too. They just told me, 'You're going up. You'll play there. Have fun.' Each step you go up it's more and more fun."

Pedroia may have been sent to Pawtucket a few days sooner, except the Sea Dogs were waiting for Hanley Ramirez (mild lower back strain) to come off the disabled list, which he did yesterday. Meanwhile, Ramirez was selected to the All-Star Futures Game in Detroit July 10.

Picky, picky
Terry Francona announced his American League coaching staff selections for the upcoming All-Star Game. When did Francona make his decision? Jan. 13. Where? ''At the writers' banquet," he said. (Clearly, a poor sleuthing job by the local media.) Francona chose Alan Trammell (Detroit) and Ken Macha (Oakland) as coaches, and he'll be joined by his own coaching staff -- bench coach Brad Mills, pitching coach Dave Wallace, hitting coach Ron Jackson, bullpen coach Bill Haselman, and base coaches Dale Sveum and Lynn Jones . . . As expected, Johnny Damon didn't start to rest his ailing right shoulder. However, Damon did pinch run for Kevin Millar in the eighth and scored the tying run on John Olerud's RBI single. Trot Nixon pinch hit for Damon in the ninth, even though the pitcher was Bob Wickman, and Damon was 7 for 11 in his career against the Indians' closer. But hitting is what most aggravates Damon's sore rotator cuff. ''Coming up in that situation, if I take a swing, why did I have a day off?" Damon said. He thinks that with today's day off, combined with yesterday, ''hopefully I can be back to 100 percent. Normally, I'm a quick healer. Two days for me is an eternity." . . . Ellis Burks was back in the Sox' clubhouse yesterday for the first time since retiring following an injury-plagued 2004. Burks, who lives about 40 miles east of here, is spending his time with his wife and four kids. ''I want to take a full year off, be at home with the wife every day, until she gets tired of me," he said. Then he'll look for employment in baseball. ''Whoever he deals with will be fortunate," Francona said. The Sox skipper lauded Burks for sticking with playing last season despite a severely damaged left knee. He continues to wear a brace. ''He probably never should have come back and played at all," Francona said . . . Rule 5 outfielder Adam Stern, expected to be back playing last night, won't be in Pawtucket's lineup until Saturday, Francona said. He's missed more than three weeks with what the team is calling a hamstring injury.