Outfielder Mike Cameron was scheduled for only four at-bats Monday night as he began a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket.
He unsuccessfully tried to persuade manager Torey Lovullo to give him a fifth in the ninth inning of a game in which the Gwinnett Braves prevailed, 3-2.
Pawtucket had runners on first and second with two outs when Lovullo pinch-hit Niuman Romero who grounded out to end the game.
“It’s my competitive nature when it comes to wanting to do something like that,” said Cameron, who was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. “But the boss said that was it.”
Cameron has been on Boston’s disabled list since April 19 with a lower abdominal strain. Prior to that injury, he was sidelined after passing a kidney stone.
He batted leadoff as Pawtucket’s designated hitter and lined a double to left field in the eighth inning off right-hander Stephen Marek.
Cameron fouled out to first base in the first and struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch in the fourth against right-hander Chris Resop.
He walked on a full count in the fifth.
“It wasn’t a bad first day considering that I haven’t faced live pitching in close to a month,” Cameron said. “It was good that I got to see a lot of pitches. I was a little long with my swing on the second (at-bat). Other than that, I was starting to hone it in a little bit better.”
Cameron is scheduled to play center field in Tuesday night’s game against Gwinnett.
“I don’t know if they’re going to let me play all nine (innings),” Cameron said. “My legs were a little heavy today. But I got a hit so that’s a good thing.”