Ramirez happy as a middleman

CHICAGO -- It's been five games since Hanley Ramirez was moved to second base.

''He has not been moved," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said, seeking a clarification. ''He has been playing over there."

Evidently, the dynamic prospect's new position isn't a permanent relocation. Instead, it's an opportunity for the organization to enhance Ramirez's versatility. Furthermore, this wasn't a reaction to Mark Bellhorn's injury. Ramirez debuted at second base last Saturday for Double A Portland, one day before Bellhorn sprained his left thumb chasing down a Jason Giambi grounder.

''[Bellhorn's] injury will keep [Ramirez at second] in the short term," Epstein said. ''He'll play shortstop and second base, and we may introduce him to other positions as well. The more versatile our prospects can be, the more valuable they'll be immediately at the big league level. It's something we wanted to do before the year is over."

Thus far -- though the sample size is extremely small -- Ramirez has struggled. He started at second base Saturday through Tuesday and made one error. He was scheduled for a day off Wednesday, found himself in the game because of ejections and injuries, and committed errors on the first two balls hit to him, leading to three unearned runs.

The first error Wednesday, according to a Portland official, looked like a double-play ball off the bat, until it slipped through Ramirez's legs. The second ricocheted off his glove.

''Like any player, it will take longer than a handful of games to get fully comfortable," Epstein said. ''He looked good over there."

A .271 hitter this season, Ramirez is hitting just .111 (2 for 18) with a walk and four strikeouts as a second baseman. But Sox director of player development Ben Cherington thinks that has more to do with fatigue than a position change.

''He's a little tired," Cherington said. ''He's playing every day. The Eastern League has 23-man rosters."

What does the 21-year-old think of second base?

''Good," Ramirez said by phone yesterday. ''It's a different angle. I don't care where I play. I just want to play with the Red Sox. I can play first base if they want me to. I enjoy everywhere."

Ramirez also figures to play some outfield this summer. If he were to prove himself capable at both middle infield positions, as well as the outfield, it's not inconceivable he could join the team as a September call-up and play his way into a spot on the playoff roster as a utility player and pinch runner.

Dust buster
Dustin Pedroia, who missed eight games between June 28 and July 5 after getting hit on the right wrist with a pitch, was forced to take a seat this week by the Pawtucket coaches, who sensed he's not sufficiently healthy. Pedroia missed his fourth straight game last night and will be reevaluated today, though he probably won't play until the beginning of next week, Cherington said. Pedroia, in his first full professional season, is batting .246 (15 for 61) with 4 doubles, a triple, and 6 RBIs since his late-June promotion to Pawtucket . . . Still no room at the Fenway Inn for Roberto Petagine, but consider this: In 155 Triple A at-bats against righthanded pitching, the slugging first baseman is hitting .335 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs . . . International League hitters went into last night batting just .192 (5 for 26) off Manny Delcarmen since his July 6 promotion to Pawtucket. The righthander has walked just two and fanned 10 while holding lefthanders to a lower batting average (.167) than righthanders (.214) . . . Tough going for Cla Meredith: The young reliever who suffered through an evanescent stint in Boston, is getting hit at a .311 clip (37 for 119) since joining the PawSox in mid-May.

A nice catch
PawSox catcher Kelly Shoppach, in his fourth minor league season and now 25, wouldn't view a trade -- and the accompanying opportunity to play in the big leagues -- as the worst thing in the world. And, he's been performing splendidly as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. Shoppach hit a grand slam Wednesday, giving him four homers and 11 RBIs in a span of three games. In his last four games entering last night, Shoppach had reached base in 12 of 18 plate appearances (9 hits, 3 walks). For the season, he's tied for second in the league in homers (21), is fifth in slugging (.574), and tied for ninth in RBIs (59) . . . In his first seven games with Lowell, the Sox's top draft pick, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, is batting .296 (8 for 27), has walked seven times, and is 6 for 6 in stolen base attempts.