Cora

PAWTUCKET — Alex Cora arrived at McCoy Stadium yesterday healthy and ready to play baseball.

The Red Sox utility man has been on the disabled list since April 16 with a sprained right elbow. Ironically, the 32-year-old infielder suffered the injury while taking ground balls at third base in preparation to play the position after Sox third baseman Mike Lowell went down with a sprained thumb.

When Cora first suffered the injury, he said it was scary. He had never experienced anything like it and didn’t know what to expect. After only a few days, the team’s medical staff felt it best to shut him down and he was subsequently placed on the 15-day DL.

“We’ve done everything we can to get healthy,” he said. “I’m confident we did everything that we were supposed to in order to be ready.”

Last night was the first of three scheduled games with the PawSox for Cora, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored. He hit second in the order and played second base.

“He looked great,” PawSox manager Ron Johnson said.

Obviously Johnson was joking, but Cora wasn’t able to test the elbow in the field. He’ll play again today and tomorrow for Pawtucket, along with fellow rehabber Red Sox first baseman Sean Casey.

Cora, a 13-year pro, hasn’t experienced the minor-league landscape in eight seasons. Originally selected by the Dodgers in the third round of 1996 draft, he was an everyday player for Los Angeles, beginning in 2000 until he signed with the Indians as a free agent in 2005. His stay in Cleveland didn’t last long inasmuch as the Red Sox acquired him — in exchange for infielder Ramon Vazquez — on July 7, 2005, and that’s when his career changed.

Suddenly, Cora had to learn how to be a role player.

Some players can make that adjustment a lot easier. That wasn’t the case for Cora.

“It was hard,” he said. “But with the atmosphere in the Red Sox clubhouse, and knowing you have a shot to win every night — you need to check your ego at the door and help the team win.”

That’s exactly what he learned to do. As a result, Cora has become one of the more respected players in Boston.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona has continually talked about the importance of the club’s bench players. He has said without players such as Cora, the team wouldn’t enjoy the success its had since 2004.

“They respect you as a player,” Cora said. “The same way they respect David [Ortiz] and Manny [Ramirez]; you get the same treatment being a utility guy. You want to play every day. We are every-day players in this situation, and that’s the way you have to see it. If you see yourself as a backup, then you’re going to act like a backup.”

That’s what makes the Red Sox role players that much more important. Cora said the respect starts at the top of the organization, and because of that, the players reciprocate.

jmcdonal@projo.com