PAWTUCKET — Jed Lowrie's second spring training kept rolling forward Thursday night at McCoy Stadium.

After spending two nights in Lowell on Tuesday and Wednesday, Lowrie returned to Triple A and the start of the second half of the season in Pawtucket. He looked good most of the way in the field, going deep into the hole and making one nice play in the fourth inning. He also dropped a high fly ball down the left-field line in the seventh inning and was charged with an error. At the plate he struck out twice and flied out three times.

Lowrie says his injured wrist is feeling healthy and strong and he's working hard on getting his body into top physical shape.

"Spring training is the best way to look at it. It's allowing me to get back in shape and start feeling like a baseball player again," he said.

Lowrie is clearly not ready for a return to Fenway Park just yet. He's played only 11 games in Pawtucket and hasn't enjoyed much success at the plate yet. He went 0-for-8 for Single-A Lowell the previous two nights and is hitting under .200 with the PawSox. Asked when he might be ready to return to the big leagues, Lowrie said, "They're going to ask me how I feel and they'll make their evaluations and put those two together and decide when I'm ready."

"I feel my timing and bat speed come back every day," he added. "Just being out there and playing every day my legs aren't sore anymore. It's a continual process. It's hard to do it in the middle of the season because everyone else is already there, but I'm doing fine."

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Ron Johnson and the rest of the PawSox will be rooting hard for Clay Buchholz when he starts for the Red Sox in Toronto Friday night. Johnson was the first member of the Boston organization to inform the highly touted right-hander that he'd be making the Red Sox' first start of the second half of the season.

It is presumed that Buchholz will pitch Friday and then be shuttled back to Triple A. However, a dominating outing could confuse those plans.

"He's getting a start because he deserves a start. I'm not going to read anything into it," said Johnson. "He's very well aware it may be one."

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Baseball America has released its midseason minor-league awards. The only Red Sox prospect to make the midseason all-star team was Casey Kelly, the highly touted dual position player now in Single A. Pitching for both Greenville and Salem, Kelly posted a 7-5 record and a 2.08 ERA. In 17 starts, he struck out 74 in 95 innings. For the rest of the season, Kelly will move to shortstop, where he is also seen as a top prospect. The Yankees, Indians and Giants were the only teams with more than one player on the all-star team.

PawSox catcher Mark Wagner, who hit .301 at Portland before being promoted, made the publication's all-surprise team. He's off to a slow start at the plate in Triple A, hitting .143 in six games.

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-- The PawSox' two all-star pitchers, Francisco Cabrera and Jose Vaquedano, were not at McCoy by game time. Both pitched in the International League's 6-5 win in Portland, Ore., Wednesday night and ran into travel problems getting back to Rhode Island. Cabrera gave up a home run in the ninth inning but recorded the final two outs and picked up the save.

-- The third Citizens Bank Free Youth Clinic will be held at McCoy Saturday at 2 p.m. Players and members of the coaching staff will be on the field offering instruction and tips to youngsters of all ages.

-- The PawSox will play 25 games over the next 24 days. The team's next off-day is Aug. 9.

kmcnamar@projo.com