BOSTON — The news on the injury front wasn’t great for the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Outfielders Jonathan Van Every and Chris Carter still were hampered by their respective oblique strains, so they were unavailable for Pawtucket in its game against Charlotte at Fenway Park as part of the Futures at Fenway doubleheader.

“It’s an unfortunate situation you don’t want to happen, but it just gives opportunities for other guys to get some at-bats and go to work,” said Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson.

Infielder Jeff Natale was one of those “guys.” And Natale, a Connecticut native who starred at Trinity College, was thrilled to have that opportunity, serving as the PawSox’ designated hitter against the Knights after Lowell’s 4-3, 12-inning win over Hudson Valley in a Class-A game in the opener.

“This is a great precursor for what it’s like to play at the next level, playing in front of 25,000 or 30,000 people or however many there will be,” said Natale.

“It’s a learning experience for everybody. You can‘t take it for granted playing in a place like this. Just stepping on the field is exciting,” he said.

Actually, just being back on any baseball field is a happy moment for Natale the way his season has gone this year.

After a solid season in Double-A Portland in 2007, Natale was boosted from the Sea Dogs to Pawtucket on April 16 this year. But in his fifth game with the PawSox, Natale was hit by a pitch, suffering a broken left forearm that kept him out of action until July 10, when his return to Pawtucket on July 29 was preceeded by rehab stints in the Gulf Coast League and Lowell, beginning on July 10.

The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder entered yesterday’s game batting .227 (5-for-22) with a double and a homer since returning. Natale went 0-for-3 with a walk in the PawSox’ 5-2 win over the Knights yesterday.

“Every at-bat feels a little better,” said Natale, who will turn 26 in two weeks. “There are some swings that are difficult, but it’s getting back to 100 percent. You couldn’t come back at a better time with a month left to the season and the team in a pennant race.”

Not that Natale’s return has gone without any hitches. In his first at-bat in Pawtucket since being drilled by the arm-breaking pitch on April 21, Natale was hit again.

“It hit me about six inches from the breaking point. I was about ready to cry,” said Natale yesterday as he and his teammates waited their turn to play.

“It was actually probably a blessing. I got that out of the way. I get hit with a lot of pitches. That’s part of my game, getting on base, making things happen, scoring runs. You can’t be afraid at the plate. If you are, you won’t be playing with your approach,” said Natale, who boasted a career on-base percentage of .440 entering this season.

Natale’s approach to the game is working. He has moved relatively quickly up the minor-league ladder, earning minor-league offensive player of the year in 2006 when he split time with Class-A teams in Greenville and Wilmington.

Not bad for a 32nd-round pick in 2005.

“I was thrilled to get drafted at all, especially by a team in the Northeast,” said Natale. “A lot of my friends in college are Red Sox fans.”

And despite his relatively low draft status, Natale hasn’t been ignored by the organization.

“I’ve been surprised at how I’ve moved. You know it’s going to be difficult to rise even to Triple A, but that’s a token to the Red Sox for not blowing off a guy taken in the 32nd round.”

He is aware of the odds of making the next step up, to the big leagues.

“It’s a matter of getting an opportunity and luck, too,” said Natale. “You need guys to get hurt, you need guys to not play well and you need to play well.”

skrasner@projo.com