A few wrong turns, but Nixon back in right

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Trot Nixon has become quite the traveler in the last week -- stopping in California, Georgia, Texas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and, finally, Missouri.

After being activated from the disabled list yesterday, the Red Sox right fielder rejoined his team at Kauffman Stadium for the first matchup in a three-game series against the Royals.

It had been 22 games and two Pawtucket rehab starts since Nixon's name last appeared in the Boston lineup, his last start coming July 26 in Tampa Bay, when a hard swing led to the strained left oblique muscle that put him on the DL.

Starting in his usual position and batting fifth last night, Nixon went 1 for 4 with an RBI double in the fifth inning. He said his side reacted just the way he wanted it to -- not at all.

''I felt good. I had some good at-bats, and the swings that I took, I had some aggressive swings at times," he said. ''My third at-bat, I had an aggressive swing, and right before that I had a check swing -- more and more things that you find in game situations. You don't do a lot of check swinging in [batting practice]."

Nixon's reunion with the team didn't come without frustration. Early Saturday morning, he left Los Angeles (where the Sox were playing the Angels) for Boston to knock out a quick, two-game rehab stint in Pawtucket.

His flight should have landed at Logan Airport around 7 that night, but a cancellation rerouted him around the country. With his first rehab appearance scheduled for Sunday night, Nixon finally found himself back in Boston at 1:15 Sunday morning.

''It wasn't my first time [traveling like that]," said Nixon, who worried that he extended travel would affect his performance. ''But I felt fine the next night swinging the bat."

Nixon started in right field for the PawSox Sunday night, going 1 for 1 with a sacrifice fly and a walk. On Monday, he switched to designated hitter and went 2 for 4 from the leadoff spot, with a solo home run.

Nixon said his recovery went faster than expected, especially considering the length of rehab time often associated with an oblique strain.

''It was just a situation where I was getting better and better day after day, a little bit stronger," he said. ''''Obviously, with any injury you don't want to go too fast because you might create the same problem again or a different problem. Day by day it got better, and I was very pleased.

''I've also heard some stories that [oblique strains] never go away, so, hopefully, this one will go away and not come back."

Despite the possibility of a lengthy recovery time, Nixon said thoughts of his injury-plagued 2004 season (he played just 48 games because of a herniated disk, a strained left quad, and a torn left quad) never entered his mind: ''Last year was last year. I worry about this year."

After last night's 5-2 win, Nixon is hitting .293 with 22 doubles, 11 homers, and 51 RBIs in 90 games. Manager Terry Francona had no problem with the length of Nixon's absence because Gabe Kapler has been such a consistent fill-in.

''The way Gabe plays the game, it makes it a little easier to be patient," Francona said.