FORT MYERS, Fla. –– Jonathan Papelbon has set such a ridiculously high standard over his four years in the majors that even a little spring mediocrity looks jarringly out of place.

Papelbon hasn’t looked like his usual dominant self this spring. He has allowed four runs in nine innings, which in itself is not terrible. But he has also given up nine hits, walked three, and hit two batters. This is the same Papelbon who walked eight men all of last season, and hit no one, on his way to a 2.34 ERA. Sunday against Philadelphia, he walked two batters in a row, something Red Sox fans could go all season without seeing.

Papelbon has been able to get out of jams with the strikeout. He has racked up 11 in his nine innings. He and his coaches acknowledge that he’s not in mid-season form, though they say that’s no cause for concern. It is, after all, only March.

“I’ve got a lot of things that I’ve got to work on to get ready for the season,” Papelbon said.

For a pitcher like Papelbon, who relies so heavily on adrenaline to stay sharp and motivated, spring can be difficult. Manager Terry Francona said that he doesn’t put much stock in what he sees out of his closer in spring, when the excitable Papelbon is forced to come in with the bases empty during the fifth or sixth inning of a meaningless spring training game.

“Pap pitching in the fifth inning, it’s just not going to be the same,” Francona said.

The Sox plan to get Papelbon work in the ninth inning a few times in this final week before the season.

“In the next couple outings I’ll be pitching in the ninth. I’m not going to just go into the season without pitching in the ninth, because it is a different feeling, and emotions are different,” Papelbon said.

The results aren’t where they should be for several reasons, said Papelbon and his coaches, but health isn’t among them.

There were reports from an unnamed National League scout earlier in the spring that Papelbon’s shoulder seemed like it might not be fully healthy. Papelbon denied that then, and said that everything is fine now. His velocity is rising to his normal standards, and he is working out the kinks.

“I feel like I’m having a good spring,” he said.

Papelbon has, however, struggled with some mechanical issues this spring that have needed tweaking.

Papelbon has spent the past week in heavy work with pitching coach John Farrell, working on his delivery. He has been focusing on finishing his delivery straight down the mound, pointing towards home plate, rather than veering off towards first base.

“He’s had a really good week’s worth of work with John [Farrell] on coming off towards the plate, and I really do think he looks more confident, so I think probably he was really pleased, too,” Francona said.

That alteration should help him keep his fastball directed, and also make it harder on the batter as Papelbon releases the ball slightly closer to the plate.

Francona said he wasn’t worried about Papelbon’s outing Sunday, when he walked two straight men. The closer got two quick outs to start the inning, and only unraveled after a checkswing that should have resulted in an out.

“I’m actually glad. You never want to see guys lose a hitter or two, but I’m glad he had to work a little. Because that was going to be too quick of an inning,” Francona said.

Papelbon signed a one-year, $6.25-million contract in January, and begins the year as the lynchpin to what should be an excellent Red Sox bullpen this season. New additions Takashi Saito and Ramon Ramirez should join with Papelbon and returnees Hideki Okajima, Javier Lopez, Manny Delcarmen and Justin Masterson to shorten games for the Red Sox this year.

Papelbon knows that preseason projections means little –– as do spring training results –– and that now the time is coming to prove it.

“I think on paper we look really good, but we’ve got to go out and prove a lot of things, because it doesn’t just get done on paper,” Papelbon said.

dbarbari@projo.com