PORTLAND, Maine — It began with a bang in Pawtucket, and ended with something less than a pop in Portland.

In between, David Ortiz, the mammoth designated hitter of the Boston Red Sox, got in enough rehab work during his week-long, minor-league sojourn to get himself healthy enough to rejoin the Red Sox for this weekend’s important series with the New York Yankees.

Ortiz, who homered in each of his three PawSox tuneups at McCoy Stadium, was quieter in his trio of tilts with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.

The last of those came last night, when he went 0-for-1 with a walk against Connecticut Defenders right-hander Brooks McNiven.

The torn tendon sheath of his left wrist is as good as it’s going to get, he said, in a casual pregame news conference. Even if it’s not completely tip-top.

“Sometimes you feel weak,” he said, “because it’s not an easy injury to deal with. But other than that, I feel fine. I think I am where I’d like to be. I’m not going to lie to you; I’m not 100 percent. But I’m close.”

Ortiz had to sit out a two-hour rain delay, and managed to get in only one swing for his trouble.

Digging in against McNiven, Ortiz’s first at bat was a quiet one.

He walked on five pitches without getting in a single swing.

Trying to work the outside of the plate, McNiven missed twice, before sneaking an inside fastball past Ortiz.

McNiven came inside twice more but missed both times, and Ortiz ambled down to first.

The next at-bat, which came in the bottom of the third, was much briefer.

With runners at first and second and one away, Ortiz swung at McNiven’s inside curve and chopped it to second baseman Dave Maroul, who turned the double play.

That was all Ortiz needed to see, and he trotted off the field.

The best he can do from here on out, he said, is to do his work in Boston and play through whatever discomfort he feels.

“I think so. I think it’s something that I’m going to have to prepare myself for. Come in, do what the trainer wants me to do. Get my swing to loosen up, like I normally do. And go from there.”