Dustin Pedroia prepares to take batting practice yesterday at Dodger Stadium in California.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

LOS ANGELES — An optional workout after a nighttime arrival and a 10-hour flight across the Pacific wouldn’t seem to bode well for attendance, but when the Red Sox convened at Dodger Stadium yesterday, about 18 players showed up.

Among position player regulars, only Kevin Youkilis, Manny Ramirez and Coco Crisp were absent.

“I wasn’t looking for a big number,” said manager Terry Francona of the participants. “But it seems like everybody is feeling better here than they were at any point in Japan.”

Some players wanted to take advantage of the weight room, which was non-existent at the Tokyo Dome.

“Guys have routines and they want to stay in them,” Francona said.

“I think we’re doing pretty good,” said Mike Lowell when asked to sum up the team’s status after the journey. “It was just good to get out here and get the blood flowing.”

Of interest now is how the team operates over the weekend. After opening a two-game regular season series with Oakland in Japan, the Sox now face three exhibition games against the Dodgers before continuing their series with the A’s in Oakland starting Tuesday.

“That,” agreed Lowell, “is a little different. It seems like we’re changing gears. We get revved up for the games there, and now we have to downshift again here, before revving up again [next week]. But I think we’ll be fine.”

J.D. Drew, who missed most games in Tokyo with a strained lower back, reported some improvement and continued to get treatment.

“I’m a lot more mobile,” he said. “I still have a little twinge in there. I did some exercises and had some ice and some massage. It continues to calm down.”

Francona was unsure of Drew’s availability for this weekend, but the outfielder said: “If I made as much improvement tomorrow as I did today, then I should be looking good.”

Around the bases

The teams play at Los Angeles Coliseum tomorrow night in front of what is expected to be the biggest crowd ever to watch a baseball game in the United States. Some 115,000 fans are expected for the reconfigured field.

It will be just 201 feet down the left field line with a 62-foot-high netting. The left-center power alley will be just 280 feet, with straight-away center at 362 feet.

Pitching coach John Farrell was absent from the workout, undergoing a minor surgical procedure… Francona said he’d try to get every position player a start soon in a regular-season game. “We try not to let guys lose what they had [in spring training] in the first 10 days (of the season).” Alex Cora could start at shortstop Wednesday on get-away day in Oakland.

smcadam@projo.com