Ortiz feeling like a castaway

As wrist gets rest, he's eager to return soon

David Ortiz had to hand the water bottle to his father, sitting next to him. With his left wrist on the mend, there was no need to aggravate the torn tendon sheath trying to twist off a cap.

Ortiz was enjoying a greater range of motion yesterday after his black, arm-length cast was replaced by a shorter white one that went from the palm of his hand to below his elbow.

"They only changed it, just the fact that they don't want my elbow and my shoulder to be going crazy after a while," Ortiz said. "Like I was having problems sleeping with that one cast. Take it easy on the rest of my arm."

Though Ortiz seems to be going stir crazy - "I can't watch the games on TV no more," he said - he knows the rest might be a boon at the end of the season, reducing the wear on his right knee.

"My knee was fine, though," Ortiz said. "But I hit it that one time at Tampa, it just gave me a little setback. It started getting sore. But my knee was the way that it was supposed to be. It wasn't getting sore. I was running fine. But I guess always something has to happen. It took me a few days. I was playing before but it was a lot of up-and-down days. One day it would feel good, another day [not as good]."

Ortiz will have his wrist evaluated in another week, and he said he might be switched to a removable cast so he can start doing some exercises. He did say that he likely will remain behind in Boston when the team travels to Cincinnati and Philadelphia, allowing him to continue his work with physical therapist Scott Waugh.

That won't help him be less antsy to get back on the field. But it does make a difference that the team is winning.

"Because when things are going bad, it kind of puts more pressure on you," Ortiz said. "Nothing you can do. But it makes you feel like you have to rush. But sometimes it's not worth it because you come in, you play, you're not 100 percent. Then next thing you know you're going back on the DL forever. But I'm glad to see my teammates doing what they do."

Pedroia still helping

Dustin Pedroia was hitless in seven at-bats during the Seattle series. In his last 15 games, he is batting .121 (7 for 58), dropping his average from .304 on May 21 to .263, the lowest its been since April 11.

Despite the slump, Pedroia is still making an impact at the plate. In yesterday's 2-1 win, Pedroia worked Mariners starter Erik Bedard for a walk in a nine-pitch plate appearance in the third inning, and had a 10-pitch at-bat against Bedard in the fifth that resulted in a ground out.

"You look at the box score and [Pedroia] didn't have anything to show for it, but those at-bats, he never gave in," manager Terry Francona said. "He just wouldn't give in. Sometimes when you're scuffling, the guy makes a pitch and it's easy to make an out. He kept fighting and fighting and he made an out but he extended the inning a long way."

Ellsbury near return

Jacoby Ellsbury took some swings in the batting cage, though he didn't take live batting practice. He'll get to that during today's off day. That might lead to a return to the lineup by tomorrow for the opener of a three-game set with Baltimore at Fenway. "It'd be nice," said Ellsbury, who injured his right wrist making a diving catch last Thursday. "That would be nice, Tuesday. That would be what we'd be shooting for. But I was pleased with how it felt today. Got some swings in. It was real sore, but [there wasn't] too much pain. Just really sore, achy feeling." . . . Manny Ramírez was again the designated hitter because of a bothersome hamstring, with Brandon Moss playing left field. "I said, 'When you're ready, tell me,' " Francona said. " 'If you play the outfield, we can do this, but we also don't want to make a mistake and put you out there before you're supposed to.' He goes, 'Yeah, I understand.' . . . The fact that he's DHing right now is really helping us. Because I know from watching him run it hurts. I actually just think he's doing a good job of trying to take nice even strides and get down the line as good as he can and not have it grab at him." The Sox won't have the luxury of the DH in their upcoming interleague road series. Ramírez did extend his hitting streak to 13 games yesterday.

Rotation turns

The rotation for this weekend in Cincinnati is Justin Masterson Friday, Tim Wakefield Saturday, and Josh Beckett Sunday. Wakefield is being pushed back two days to give him rest . . . Tomorrow night, the Sox will honor Ramírez for his 500th career home run. Eddie Murray, a Hall of Famer and former teammate of Ramírez's in Cleveland, will participate in the ceremony. The Sox also will have a pregame ceremony Wednesday, when Ramírez, Jon Lester, and Jason Varitek will present equipment from their milestone achievements to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Wade Boggs, Bobby Doerr, Dennis Eckersley, and Carlton Fisk will be on hand . . . Francona got his 415th win with the Sox, moving past Jimy Williams into fifth place on the franchise list . . . Jonathan Papelbon earned his 18th save of the season. He has not given up an earned run in his last 9 1/3 innings . . . Craig Hansen worked the seventh to run his scoreless stretch to 6 2/3 innings . . . Most of the Sox, including Ortiz, were headed to last night's Celtics-Lakers game at TD Banknorth Garden. Ortiz was taking his father, and planned to be sitting courtside . . . The Sox announced a "Seats for Soldiers" program, when season ticket-holders can donate their seats to the July 9 day game against Minnesota to members of the US Armed Forces.

Globe correspondent Baxter Holmes contributed to this report.