The Red Sox’ Dustin Pedroia, sliding home safely in the third inning of last night’s series finale against the Mariners, extended his road hitting streak to 24 games.

AP / Elaine Thompson

SEATTLE — Help is on the way for the Red Sox in the form of David Ortiz.

The Sox expect to activate Ortiz before tomorrow’s homestand opener against the Yankees. Ortiz, who hasn’t played since May because of a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, has spent the last week rehabbing in Pawtucket and Portland.

“It will be good to have another guy in the lineup who can swing it,” said Kevin Youkilis.

“To get him back,” said J.D. Drew, “will be like making a big deal at the (non-waiver trading) deadline.”

“David will get a real nice ovation,” predicted Mike Lowell, “as he should. Hopefully, he’ll hit for us like he did in Pawtucket (where Ortiz hit three homers in as many games last week).”

Lowell pointed out that with Ortiz’s return to the lineup, the Sox can put a legitimate run-producer — either Lowell, Drew or Youkilis — seventh in the batting order.

“That puts so much pressure on other teams,” he said of the batting order’s depth. “It can only be to our advantage.”

To make room for Ortiz’s activation, it’s expected that the Sox will return Brandon Moss to Triple A. Moss did not get an at-bat on the six-game West Coast swing, appearing in only one as a pinch-runner.

Manny rests knee

Manny Ramirez surprised the Red Sox yesterday morning when he reported to Safeco Field and told manager Terry Francona that he couldn’t play because of a sore right knee.

“He showed up this morning, I wasn’t ready for that,” Francona said. “He said his right knee hurts.”

Francona jokingly blamed the flareup on Ramirez’s recent run-in with the law.

“The jaywalking,” said Francona, “if you do it right, you won’t hurt your knee.”

Ramirez said the knee had been hampering him some for the last week.

“I’ve just been trying to play it out,” he said. “I decided it was time to give it a rest.”

Asked if he would be ready to return to the lineup tomorrow when the Sox begin a key weekend showdown with the Yankees, Ramirez responded: “I don’t know; I’m day-to-day at this point.”

Ramirez spent a portion of the morning singing karaoke into a makeshift microphone — a rolled-up magazine — and put out a tip cup for teammates and reporters.

A defensive whiz

Jacoby Ellsbury, who was just 1-for-6 at the plate yesterday, nevertheless made his impact felt in the outfield. Ellsbury turned in a handful of defensive gems in left.

Leading the highlight film was a play Ellsbury made tracking down a rocket by Jose Lopez for the final out of the seventh. He raced to the left-center gap and took extra bases away from the Seattle second baseman.

Later, he shined in recording consecutive outs in the bottom of the ninth.

First, he came in and snared a sinking liner by pinch-hitter Yuniesky Betancourt for the first out. A minute later, he roamed over to shallow center and caught a ball off the bat of catcher Kenji Johjima.

As superb as Ellsbury was, the best glove work turned in yesterday came from Ichiro Suzuki, who leaped to take a three-run homer away from Drew in the third.

Around the bases

Jed Lowrie started his fifth straight game at short and has hit safely in all five, going 7-for-18 (.389) with four RBI and two walks. … The Sox improved to 5-2 in extra-inning games this season. … Yesterday was the 5,000th regular-season game in the Mariners’ 31-year history.

smcadam@projo.com