ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- J.D. Drew (herniated disc) took live batting practice on the field last night in anticipation of returning to the lineup this weekend in Toronto.

“He swung the bat great,” said manager Terry Francona, “but he tightened up at the end. We’ll see.”

Drew responded well to a day of activity Tuesday, when he took batting practice in the cage and shagged some fly balls in the outfield for 15 minutes.

He’s expecting to get treatment today, an off-day for the team, and could be back on the field either tomorrow night or Saturday afternoon.

There’s some concern about the artificial turf surface at Rogers Centre, so the Sox will carefully monitor how he feels over the weekend.

It’s been more than a month –– Aug. 17 –– since Drew last played.

With Jason Bay still in Boston after the birth of his second child and Drew not ready to return to the lineup, the Sox stayed Mark Kotsay in right field, despite his recent struggles.

Going into last night, Kotsay was hitless in his previous 11 at-bats and had just one hit in his last 19 at-bats. Over his last 12 games, Kotsay was hitting just .208 (10-for-48).

Francona said he had noticed Kotsay’s swing getting “a little long,” in recent games, but was committed to staying with him.

-SEAN McADAM