01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, June 13, 2006

BY SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer

PAWTUCKET -- The PawSox welcomed a familiar and beloved face in the clubhouse yesterday in the person of Gabe Kapler. Kapler made his season debut with Pawtucket last night as he continues his return from a ruptured left Achilles tendon suffered last Sept. 14 in Toronto. The 30-year-old utility outfielder was with Double-A Portland for three games last week, going 4-for-10 with three doubles.

Feeling good physically, Kapler was upbeat and smiling yesterday.

"I'm enjoying playing baseball again," he said. "I enjoyed my time in Florida (with Boston's extended spring-training team), I enjoyed my time in Portland, and I'm looking forward to getting to know some guys here (in Pawtucket) that I don't know."

Though he is nearly 31 and a veteran of eight major-league seasons, Kapler said he is always on the lookout for tips from other players, even ones who might be much younger than him.

"I'm always looking for a nugget of knowledge that might help," he said, adding that he likes to offer advice as well.

Kapler said there is no timetable for his return to Boston.

"My job is to get prepared to play baseball, get my timing back and feel healthy," he said. His timing, likely the hardest thing to get back after a long layoff, has been "really good the last few days."

He backed up that statement last night, going 2-for-5 with two RBI.

Murphy's lore

David Murphy has certainly proven himself worthy of his promotion. The 24-year-old yesterday was named the International League batter of the week for the period ending Sunday, a little more than two weeks after being promoted from Double-A Portland.

The 6-foot-4 center fielder made a strong 11th-hour push for his honor. His eighth-inning, three-run homer Sunday gave Pawtucket its fifth straight win. On Friday night, he scored the game-winning run in the PawSox' 2-1 extra-inning win. In seven games last week, Murphy went 10-for-25 (.400) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 8 RBI and 7 runs scored.

For the season -- 16 games with Pawtucket and 25 with Portland -- Murphy has 23 doubles, second-most in all of minor-league baseball.

Toledo left-handed pitcher Wilfredo Ledezma was named the I.L.'s pitcher of the week.

Re-shuffling the deck

The addition of David Pauley , who was sent down to Pawtucket yesterday after making three starts with Boston, means that manager Ron Johnson has to shuffle his starting rotation a bit. Matt Ginter pitches the series opener today in Norfolk, followed by Jimmy Serrano . Pauley is expected to start on Friday, since he started on Sunday. That means that Abe Alvarez will have his next start pushed back a day, to Saturday, the opener in Richmond.

Johnson anticipated that last night's starter, Marc Deschenes, would be moved to the bullpen.

There was one other roster move for Pawtucket yesterday: outfielder Ron Calloway was placed on the seven-day DL (retroactive to June 9) with back spasms.

Here and there

Adam Stern 's single to lead off the first inning extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games. . . . Murphy's third-inning single put his hit streak at 10 games. . . . Pawtucket's six straight wins matches its longest win string from last season and is the longest currently in the I.L. . . . With Boston off yesterday, NESN broadcast the PawSox' game instead. Former Red Sox player Dave McCarty joined Boston's vice president of communications, Glenn Geffner , in the booth. . . . With a surplus of position players, Rodney Nye became the odd man out yesterday, released after the game. A third baseman, Nye played 43 games and hit just .237.

smanza@projo.com / (401) 277-7340