PawSox outfielder Bobby Kielty is down after striking out in the third inning last night against the Indians, but he expects to receive a call-up to Boston this season.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

PAWTUCKET — It’s almost impossible to miss Bobby Kielty.

With the flaming red hair and a major-league swagger, he stands out wearing a Triple-A uniform for the Pawtucket Red Sox. Just because he went 0-for-4 in the PawSox’ 3-0 victory over the Indianapolis Indians in the season-opener last night at McCoy Stadium doesn’t mean he’ll be off the parent club’s radar anytime soon.

The 31-year-old outfielder has spent only five months in the Red Sox organization, but he will forever be remembered for his pinch-hit home run in Game Four of the 2007 World Series against the Rockies in Denver. His shot in the eighth inning — his only World Series at-bat — proved to be the game-winner.

With a noticeable log jam of outfielders in Boston, including Jacoby Ellsbury, Coco Crisp, Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew, Kielty was set to go elsewhere during the offseason. But, there was a good possibility Crisp would be traded and Kielty would be the club’s fourth outfielder.

That trade hasn’t happened — at least not yet.

So, Kielty and the Red Sox were stuck. Management told him honestly how it felt about him, and wanted him to stay in the organization, the only problem was he would have to bide his time in Pawtucket. After much thought, he decided it was best for his career if he accepted the minor-league assignment and maybe in due time he would be back with his boys in Boston.

“This wasn’t unexpected,” he said. “This was something that was expected and they let me know what was going on, and that there was a possibility I would be going down to Triple-A. The game is filled with ups and downs. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Last year I was hitting in the low .200s and then I get an at-bat in the World Series, so it happens both ways. Now it’s just a matter of coming down here and trying to help Pawtucket win.

“If I come down here then anything can happen,” he said. “I did [consider going to another club] at some point, because it sounded as if there could be possibility for a big-league job. Anytime you’re offered a big-league job compared to a minor-league job it’s worth taking. In that sense anybody who was offering a minor-league job I wasn’t going to take it. I was going to stay here no matter what.”

Another reason he decided to stay is that Red Sox management knows him personally and thinks highly of him and his abilities on and off the field. If he were in another organization, he might not have a shot.

“He’s our right fielder,” said PawSox manager Ron Johnson. “Everybody knows what Bobby Kielty’s value is to the major-league team. We saw it last year and we saw it in the World Series. I’m really excited to have him. He knows the situation in Boston and he’s ready to go. He’s a guy who can help our major-league club if something happens. It’s a good situation to have.”

When Kielty arrived at McCoy Stadium yesterday afternoon, he sat down with Johnson and told the manger he just wants to play.

Last night wasn’t the first time Kielty has played for the PawSox. Boston signed him to a minor-league deal last August and he played 10 games — all on the road — for Pawtucket before he was called up to Boston on Aug. 18. During that brief stint, Johnson realized firsthand what type of player and person Kielty would be for the Red Sox.

“He’s got a great attitude ,” said Johnson.

jmcdonal@projo.com