PAWTUCKET — PawSox shortstop Jed Lowrie was called into the manager’s office yesterday afternoon for some very important business.

No, he wasn’t informed by Pawtucket skipper Ron Johnson that he was getting the call to the big leagues, and he wasn’t a target of discipline, either. Johnson wanted to know about the newest PawSox player who will join the club on the road in Buffalo and will be activated today.

The Boston Red Sox announced yesterday that Chris Carter was the player to be named later in the three-team deal that sent Wily Mo Pena to Washington. The Nationals acquired Carter, 24, from Arizona and immediately transferred him to the Red Sox, who assigned him to Pawtucket.

Lowrie and Carter played together for two years at Stanford University, so Johnson wanted a firsthand account of the left-handed-hitting infielder, who was among league leaders for Triple-A Tucson of the Pacific Coast League at the time of the deal.

Carter comes to the PawSox with a .324 average, including 18 homers and 84 RBI in 126 games this season, while leading the PCL in hits (163). He also was tied for second with 39 doubles and ranked fifth in batting.

“Obviously, by the numbers, he’s a great player,” said Lowrie. “He’s a really smart guy. He graduated from Stanford in three years [pre-med].”

Lowrie said Carter served as Stanford’s designated hitter and also played first base. He’s in his fourth pro season and was the Diamondbacks’ 17th-round selection in the 2004 draft.

“He has a monster bat,” said Lowrie. “He’s a guy who can step in and be a benefit for the team.”

Carter and Lowrie have the same agent, and they work out together each year prior to spring training. Now, with Carter in the mix, there should be some interesting conversations in the PawSox clubhouse between Lowrie and pitcher Craig Breslow, who graduated from Yale with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry.

“We’re going to have the smartest team in the International League,” Lowrie said with a smile.

Ellsbury going strong

If there’s such a thing as a major-league hangover, Jacoby Ellsbury doesn’t have one.

The Pawtucket Red Sox outfielder, and highly touted prospect for the parent club, played one game for the Red Sox last Saturday — his second stint with Boston this season — and was sent back to Triple A to continue his development.

Since his return to the lineup on Sunday, Ellsbury has played like it’s Game Seven of the World Series.

During batting practice prior to Monday’s game against the Syracuse Chiefs, the 23-year-old was sporting battle wounds from a devastating home-plate collision on Sunday with Chiefs catcher and major-league veteran Sal Fasano. Ellsbury hasn’t missed a beat, and entered last night’s contest with a 16-game hitting streak.

He extended that mark with an RBI single in the bottom of the eight inning against the Chiefs, and he’s now two games shy of tying the PawSox’ all-time record of 19 held by Dave Stapleton (1979) and Dave Berg (2005). With his hit last night, Ellsbury is tied with seven others for the fifth-longest streak in team history.

Around the bases

It’s not too late for fans to get tickets for the Counting Crows concert on Friday at McCoy Stadium. It’s the second year in a row that the PawSox have hosted a show. Last summer, legend Bob Dylan played at the storied ballpark. Friday’s concert will also feature Live and Collective Soul. Tickets are available by calling (401) 724-7300. … Last night was Pride in URI Night at McCoy, and Thorr Bjorn, the school’s newest director of athletics, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … The Red Sox released infielder Alex Prieto after last night’s game. He hit .242 with three home runs and 21 RBI for the PawSox this year.

jmcdonal@projo.com