The Red Sox shortstop is 0-for-3 at the plate but says he feels healthy as he begins a rehab assignment of at least two games with Pawtucket.

01:00 AM EDT on Monday, May 31, 2004

BY BRIAN BENNETT
Special to the Journal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Nomar Garciaparra made his 2004 season debut with the Pawtucket Red Sox last night and declared it a success.

The shortstop, who hadn't played a game all season because of an injured right Achilles tendon, joined the PawSox in Louisville last night to begin a rehab assignment. He played five innings and went 0-for-3 at the plate.

More importantly, the Boston Red Sox star said he felt healthy after the game.

"It was definitely encouraging, just to be out there and feel the way I was out there, doing things more instinctively in a game situation," he said. "I felt really good."

Severe thunderstorms and several tornado warnings nearly prevented Garciaparra from taking the field. The game's start was delayed for 27 minutes, and the PawSox discussed having Garciaparra serve as designated hitter to avoid any problems with a wet infield.

But the rains stopped well before game time, and Garciaparra started at shortstop and batted leadoff. He swung at the game's first pitch, grounding out sharply to short against Louisville Bats lefthander Brandon Claussen.

In the third inning, Claussen struck out Garciaparra on a 1-2 breaking ball. Garciaparra made the final out of the fifth inning, grounding out to short on a 2-0 pitch. He then left the game.

"The first at-bat, I got out of the box really well, so I was pleased with the way that went," he said. "I got out of there instinctively -- I didn't really have to think about it and it felt fine. And out in field, reacting to balls and everything, it felt good."

Garciaparra had three chances in the field, and the last one almost became an adventure. In the bottom of the third, he drifted out to catch a popup and nearly got run over by teammate Justin Sherrod. The left fielder dove to the ground about a foot behind Garciaparra's legs.

"I saw (Sherrod) after he slid, and I was like, 'You're just looking out for me, right?' " Garciaparra said. "He said, 'yeah.' "

Garciaparra is scheduled to play another five innings today, although thunderstorms are again in the forecast. Red Sox officials have said Garciaparra would play two games here, then return to Boston to be reevaluated before possibly rejoining Pawtucket in Toledo.

But Garciaparra said yesterday that plan is not definite.

"We've never really put a time frame on it or said what it's going to take," he said. "Going back to Boston (tomorrow) is still up in the air. Everything is kind of tentative right now."

He described his road back to the big leagues as "a day-to-day thing."

"By day-to-day, I mean seeing how it progresses, how I get through a day, getting through a few innings," he said. "I have to kind of build it up before I go out and play nine innings. So it's one of those things where it's kind of progressing every day. It will let me know."

Though he said he didn't experience any pain last night, he expects it to pose problems in his comeback.

"It's still going to be there," he said. "It's going to remind you that it's there. I can't say I'll be 100 percent when I'm out there or when I come back, but that's to be expected.

"It's also a thing where you want to be able to go out there and be smart with it and not do anything crazy. I don't know how to do that, how to go out there and not play without reckless abandon. When I'm out there on the defensive side, I've got to go charge a ball and throw and I've got to go to my right and throw off my back foot and just do it instinctively, and not wonder or have in the back of my mind, 'Uh-oh, what's going to happen?' or 'Will I be able to do this?' "

Garciaparra seemed to be in great spirits. He signed autographs for fans for several minutes before the game. After he came out, Bats infielder Ray Olmedo came over and got a signed baseball from Garciaparra.

Garciaparra said he didn't have a timetable on when he'd like to return to Boston. And he said he doesn't know how long it will take to get the timing back on his swing.

"In spring training, there are times when you say I wish the season started this week, and the next time you're saying I'm glad I have six weeks," he said. "So it varies. But unfortunately I don't have six weeks. It's a matter of going out there and getting my work in. I might figure it out down here, or I might figure it out up there. We'll see."