By BRENDAN MCGAIR

Sports writer

PAWTUCKET – For Rocco Baldelli, sitting in the McCoy Stadium dugout touched off a degree of nostalgia. The time warp transported him back to the events of June 14, 2000, when the Woonsocket native/Cumberland resident slugged two home runs to guide Bishop Hendricken to the Class A championship.
Make no mistake, Baldelli was home. And if his memory was on the hazy side, there would lurk plenty of hints. The 27-year-old kicked off a rehab assignment Monday, serving as Pawtucket’s leadoff batter and designated hitter.
“Yeah I do, and if I didn’t I’d be reminded a couple of times this week. That’s what everyone’s been mentioning, those were good memories,” Baldelli replied when asked if he remembered the last game he played at McCoy. “I apologize to everyone for not returning their texts and (phone) calls. I’ve had a lot of people tell me ‘I’ll be at the game, look for me.’ I’ll do my best and see what I can do; I’ll wave or do whatever.
“I think I’ll have a lot of people I know at the game. It’ll be cool for them and cool for me,” said a smiling Baldelli.
Traveling down memory lane aside, Baldelli’s presence in a PawSox uniform means he’s on the periphery of returning to big-league duty. The ex-Hawk has been on the disabled list since April 21 with a left hamstring strain, a setback whose genesis can be traced when the Red Sox were on the West Coast in Anaheim last month.
Baldelli hoped the injury would subside with time, but everything came to a head when he galloped around the bases April 20 against Baltimore. “Initially I didn’t think (the hamstring) was really that bad. Then I played on it a couple of times and then it got progressively worse. It was something I wasn’t overly worried about, nor something I considered extremely serious.”
Continued Baldelli: “It was something that I wouldn’t be able to get on my feet and play for four, five, six days. That’s long enough to where you have to take a step back and let someone else get in there because (the Red Sox) needed a body.”
If there’s one thing Baldelli has grown to appreciate in his brief tenure with the BoSox, it’s the open lines of communications between player and management. Boston has impressed it upon Baldelli that, given his medical history, to not push himself unnecessarily.
“Both (manager Terry Francona and general manager Theo Epstein) have been really good with me. They have reassured me to be open and honest, which I have been,” Baldelli said. “They are two easy guys to talk to. It makes it easy as a player to go in and tell them how you’re feeling.
“We made the decision (to get placed on the DL) together. Even when I feel good I still talk to them constantly. We’ve got a dialogue going.”
Baldelli informed that his rehab, “is going fine. I’ve been doing all my running and baseball-related drills. (The hamstring) is something I haven’t felt in awhile. I think going on the disabled list was good even though the whole 15 days wasn’t necessary.”
Baldelli arrived early Monday afternoon in a black SUV and was present on the field at 2:45 for manager Ron Johnson’s daily “Circle of Trust.” The former first-round pick was quickly thrust into the open-air discussion, as was Chris Carter. Carter switched uniform numbers from No. 5 to 7 to accommodate Baldelli, who became the Red Sox to wear No. 5 since Nomar Garciaparra in 2004.
“It’s my pleasure,” Carter said about temporarily giving up his number.
Baldelli, eligible to come off the disabled list on Wednesday, returned to Tropicana Field this past weekend for the first time as an opponent.  He was presented his American League championship ring by Rays manager Joe Maddon and was in the dugout Sunday when ex-teammate Carl Crawford torched Boston on the base paths with six stolen bases.
“I’ve known Carl for nine years, he’ll do whatever he wants,” said Baldelli. “I had all this red on when I went into (Tampa’s clubhouse) and went into Joe’s office where I met Joe and (general manager) Andrew Friedman. They shook my hand and gave me a hug. I popped my head in the coaches’ office, but I quickly split.”