By Michael Vega, Globe Staff

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine dispelled any concerns or fears about Dustin Pedroia having a "reoccurrence'' of his torn adductor muscle of his right thumb in the seventh inning of Tuesday night's 7-5 victory over the Marlins when he proclaimed Wednesday afternoon, "Dustin feels good today,'' the Sox manager said.

"The medical staff feels it was more of a scare than than it was a real serious injury,'' Valentine said in his customary pregame press conference at Fenway Park. "Dustin, in true Dustin fashion, said he didn't want to let his teammates down and he's going to give it a day to make sure that it settles in and just to make sure that we know what we're dealing with.

"But there's nothing like the spirit and the talent of Dustin Pedroia, there's no doubt abut that," said Valentine.

Pedroia missed six games last month when he he jammed his right thumb in a 7-4 victory against the Detroit Tigers May 28. He appeared to re-aggravate it when he popped up to second in the seventh inning Tuesday night when he was jammed on a 95-mile-per-hour fastball inside by Marlins reliever Ryan Webb.

Although he did not feel as though he suffered a setback, Pedroia told Globe colleague Nick Cafardo, "I was more freaked out than anything. I'm fine and I'm available to play tonight.''

Valentine inserted Nick Punto into the lineup for Wednesday night's game. Punto, who relieved Pedroia Tuesday night, will bat ninth in the order.

"We have to remember that it happened when he was healthy," said Valentine, when asked what concerns he had about any reoccurrences down the road. "It's like a jammed injury that happens. Thinking that three months from now it's going to be a thing of the past and never going to reoccur is not really the case, right?

"It's a very sticky situation," Valentine said. "[Tuesday] night, he thought it was going to be a complete reoccurrence of the last time and that's why he walked off the field, and it wasn't. But it is difficult. I don't know what you compare it to, injury-wise. Most hitters have them, and it's no fun.''

In other clubhouse matters:

* Valentine said he met with first-round pick Deven Marrerro, a 21-year-old shortstop from Arizona State, who signed a $2.05 million bonus. Asked if he gave the No. 1 pick any advice, the Sox manager said, "Not really." Valentine, himself was a No. 1 pick of the Dodgers in 1968. "When I was a No. 1 draft choice, I signed for $65,000 and $1 million of good advice from Al Campanis, as he told me at the time,'' Valentine said. "So he doesn't need the extra [advice], I guess.''

Marrero, a native of Davie, Fla., who grew up rooting for the Marlins, met with the Boston media before the Red Sox hosted Marrero's hometown team. ``This is my hometown team now,'' said Marrero, who stood near the top step of the Red Sox dugout attired in a Red Sox uniform with the No. 17 jersey. "This is where I want to be and I'm here right now and I'm excited.''

Marrero took some batting practice and did a workout Wednesday at Fenway Park, hitting a few line drives off the wall before driving a few balls into the Green Monster seats. "I got a little taste of what the future is going to be like,'' he said. "I just wanted to have fun out here and show everybody my talent."

Asked about playing in the future alongside Pedroia, a fellow ASU alum, Marrero brightened up at the thought of the prospect. "I mean, that guy is the best at what he does and he does it the right way,'' Marrero said. "To be from Arizona State, that's something that would be a dream come true right there -- to play alongside that guy up the middle and to turn two with that guy and just have fun with him.

"He's a great ballplayer and he's someone I want to be like, definitely,'' Marrero said.

Asked if Pedroia was still revered on ASU's campus in Tempe, Ariz., "Oh, he's a legend there. When he gets there, he lets you know, too. I try telling him I'm the best shortstop to ever play at Arizona State, but he had a great career there, too. One that I wanted to follow up and hopefully I can follow up his career here.''

For now, Marrero is slated to head to Lowell Thursday to begin working with the Spinners in the New York-Penn League. "Hopefully I'm in that lineup tomorrow and I get to start my career,'' he said.

* Carl Crawford looks to be headed down to Fort Myers to begin baseball activities either Wednesday night or Thursday morning, Valentine said. Asked if Crawford had any rehab assignments scheduled, Valentine said, "No, we'll take it how he progresses in Florida.''