BOSTON — And down the stretch they come …

The finish line for the 2007 season is finally in sight and a playoff appearance has been clinched.

Here are five questions as the team starts its final homestand and prepares for October:

•When will Kevin Youkilis and Manny Ramirez return?

Both players took batting practice on the off-day yesterday, with Kevin Youkilis hitting for 45 minutes and Manny Ramirez taking BP for about an hour. Manager Terry Francona said the two enjoyed good workouts, but wouldn’t make a commitment on their return.

Youkilis could be ready for the start of the Minnesota series, which begins Thursday. As for Ramirez, who knows? He’s been out for almost four weeks now, and the possibility exists that he won’t return before the end of the season Sunday.

Exactly how long Ramirez might need to find his timing at the plate following a month-long layoff is unknown, but even a hitter as talented as Ramirez might be hard-pressed to go from no live pitching in September right into playoff baseball.

•Who’s on the playoff roster bubble?

The position players seem set, with Jacoby Ellsbury certain to join the nine regulars, plus reserves Doug Mirabelli, Alex Cora, Eric Hinske and Bobby Kielty. That leaves room for 11 pitchers, four of whom are certain to be starters Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield.

In the bullpen, Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Mike Timlin, Eric Gagne and Manny Delcarmen are also locks. That leaves two spots from among Javier Lopez, Jon Lester, Julian Tavarez, Clay Buchholz and Kyle Snyder.

Lester would seem the easiest to eliminate, since he won’t start in a five-game series and hasn’t pitched out of the bullpen. Lopez would give them a second left-hander, but his effectiveness against lefties (.295 batting average against) is worth debating. Tavarez gives them length and versatility, but he’s been largely ignored in September, not a positive indicator for him. Finally, there’s Buchholz, who remains the wild card in the roster shuffle.

•How much rest will the regulars get on the final homestand?

Not much, probably, at least until the Sox can clinch the division. With Ramirez and Youkilis sidelined, the lineup is already makeshift. It’s helped veterans like Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew, Julio Lugo and Jason Varitek — all 30-somethings — that the schedule has delivered two off-days since last Thursday. Also, consider that the team could have as many as three off-days between Sunday’s season finale and Game One of the ALDS.

With the magic number now down to five, the earliest the Sox could clinch would be Thursday. Should that happen, there would still be time for Francona to play his veterans sparingly over the weekend.

•The Indians or Angels — whom would the Sox prefer to play in the first round?

Neither players nor staff members will touch this question with a proverbial 10-foot pole; no sense providing bulletin-board material before the playoffs begin.

On paper, a case could be made for either. The Angels’ overly-aggressive approach, while explosive at times, makes them a far easier lineup to face, with only Garret Anderson and Vladimir Guerrero true run-production threats.

The Indians, meanwhile, have a more powerful lineup and two starting pitchers — C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona — capable of shutting down a team in a short, five-game series, but are largely inexperienced in October.

But if the Sox draw the Indians, that means the Yankees will face the Angels, a team that has eliminated the Yanks twice in the last five postseasons and dominated the Yanks in regular-season play.

And, it should come as no surprise, the Yankees are the team the Sox really don’t want to face in the ALCS.

•How will Ellsbury be used in the postseason?

At this point, it would be foolish for the Sox not to utilize Ellsbury in October. He’s hit safely in 19 of 20 games this month and he’s yet to be caught stealing a base.

“There’s a buzz to the Red Sox when he’s in the lineup,” said an American League scout over the weekend.

But how do the Sox get Ellsbury into the mix? If Ramirez isn’t ready next week — a possibility that can no longer be totally discounted — the answer is simple: Ellsbury remains in left, where he’s played most of this month.

If Ramirez is healthy, the Sox must then debate whether to play Ellsbury over Drew in right. The latter has hit better of late and could view the playoffs as an opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to redeem himself for a bitterly disappointing season.

If Drew keeps hitting the way he has, it will be a nice problem to have. If he doesn’t, the Sox have a viable backup in Ellsbury.

smcadam@projo.com