Pawtucket is the next stop on John Lester’s comeback trail.

AP / Chitose Suzuki

BOSTON — It was only eight months ago that Jon Lester told the world he had cancer. Sitting in the same chair in the same room at Fenway Park yesterday, the young left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox announced that he’s much better.

“I feel strong and I feel healthy,” he proclaimed. “I feel good, really. I feel as normal as I can be.”

Last August he was diagnosed with a treatable form of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma and was forced to shut down his promising rookie season. Suddenly, life was more important than baseball. But it was his determination to play baseball again that gave him the energy to battle the disease.

“I try not to remember it, but it’s there,” he said. “It was definitely a tough day, but it is one of those things you try to put behind you and not think about it anymore. I was just thinking about playing baseball again and doing the stuff I enjoy doing.”

Until he returned to the mound at Fenway yesterday, Lester said the entire experience really hadn’t sunk in, almost like he’s been in some sort of sick time machine. The word “cancer” was never used during his news conference, and for good reason. It’s something he wants to pack away some place and never have to think about it again.

“Anytime you’re dealing with something like that, it’s a tough thing to come back from, let alone come back and play baseball,” said Lester. “I was just fortunate enough to beat it early and get back to doing this.”

During his hiatus from baseball, and as he began his recovery, he didn’t know what his future would be like on or off the mound.

“At times during the offseason, I didn’t know if I would be back pitching,” he said. “I just kept pushing myself and tried to get back to doing what I love to do. I feel good right now.”

Mechanically, emotionally and physically, Lester says he’s in fine shape. If there was any doubt, a trip to Boston is just what he needed.

“It’s a little weird right now because I’m leaving [today] and it is a short-lived visit,” he said. “It’s definitely nice to see us play the Yankees. I got a little taste [of big-league ball] before I’m back on the road. I’m definitely ready to go.”

Lester is scheduled to start for Pawtucket on Wednesday in Rochester and will be limited to 80-85 pitches. It’ll be a big test for him since the hitters at Triple-A are obviously a lot better than the Single-A guys he’s faced so far this season. He expects a little more adrenaline when he toes the rubber for the PawSox in two days, but he’s going to try to keep everything in check.

The PawSox have Thursday off, so he’ll start again May 1 at McCoy Stadium. At that point, his rehab will conclude and the club will have to decide where to place him. He’ll probably remain with the PawSox for the foreseeable future.

From the organizational standpoint, Lester looks like a man recharged. During his workout at Fenway Park yesterday afternoon, he was under the watchful eyes of general manager Theo Epstein, manager Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farrell.

“Good, strong,” said Francona of the session. “Interestingly, we haven’t seen the kid for a while and he looks strong. His legs look strong and the ball had good finish on it. He seems excited, as he should be.

“The biggest hurdle is probably in another two starts when the shackles come off from our end,” Francona continued. “Then he can go and compete. He’s competing now, but there’s always that stipulation of [a pitch-count]. That’s killing him. It’s bothering the heck out of him, and in the next couple of starts that won’t be there any more. That’s when you’ll see his personality and his pitching get better as he goes.”

Being kept on a short leash is something Lester is used to. Because he started last season in Pawtucket, the organization was very stringent with his pitch count, which drove him crazy. He would just get into a rhythm around the second or third inning when PawSox manager Ron Johnson would take him out.

Lester said he was frustrated but understood the situation.

He feels the same this time around.

“They had me on that short leash for other reasons,” he said. “It was hard to take. I was a little younger and a little less mature about it. I just wanted to pitch and didn’t understand the bigger picture. Now, I understand and I want to pitch for a while. I don’t want to come back from this, then get hurt doing something stupid. I understand the steps, and I’m taking it in stride.”

After he left spring training and joined Single-A Greenville to start the season.

“As far as bouncing back and how he feels — I think a full year will tell you that,” Francona said. “But he certainly looks good.”

Within the next week, Lester will have his follow-up examination at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dana Faber Institute. He’s confident everything will be fine. He’s never felt better.

jmcdonal@projo.com