By BRENDAN MCGAIR

Sports writer

By BRENDAN McGAIR
Sports writer
PAWTUCKET – Aaron Bates provided a textbook example of development working at its finest, though by no means was it done intentionally.
It's just the way things happened to work out.
Thanks to putting up gaudy statistics with Double-A Portland – .340 batting average with seven home runs and 39 RBI – Bates forced the hand of minor league director Mike Hazen. Should the 25-year-old continue to punish Eastern League pitching, or was it time for a promotion?
The latter was answered with Bates’ presence in the Pawtucket clubhouse on Monday. Bates was informed Triple-A was in his immediate future following Sunday’s contest at Hadlock Field, Sea Dogs manager Arnie Beyeler and hitting coach Dave Jopple the relaters of good news to the North Carolina State product.
“He’s earned an opportunity to be here,” said PawSox skipper Ron Johnson, who wasted no time inserting Bates into the lineup. “These are the way promotions are supposed to be; you are supposed to dominate levels and be rewarded for what you’ve done."
“I’ve been playing hard and well, so it’s nice to get a promotion,” said Bates.
Bates, who started at first base and hit in the fifth spot for Pawtucket on Monday, didn’t spend countless hours lying awake at night, wondering if scaling another classification of the Sox’ farm system was in the works.
His preference was to wield a potent stick and leave everything else up to the decision makers.
“It’s just the kind of thing when you go out and play hard everyday. For me it’s not so much where you’re playing. Just try to square up the ball four times a game and let the rest take care of itself," said Bates. "They have people in the front office for that sort of thing that get paid a lot of money to make those decisions.”
Drafted in 2006 in the third round (No. 86 overall, 15 selections after Justin Masterson), Bates has demonstrated he can hit for power (24 home runs with Single-A Lancaster in ’07) and high average. Born in Manhattan, Bates has spent since the tail end of the 2007 campaign in Portland. Last season saw him top the Sea Dogs in RBI (68) and hits (126).
“I was able to make my adjustments in Double-A, (pitchers) have better control there,” Bates said. “You don’t see as many mistakes at that level; you have to be more consistent at the plate.”
Bates created a shorter drive for himself by spending Sunday night with his girlfriend in Boston. He arrived at McCoy Stadium around noontime on Monday and wasted no time attacking the weight room and saying hello to the PawSox players he was familiar with, among them Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Jeff Natale, (fellow 2006 draft mate) Kris Johnson and Jose Vaquedano, whom Bates played Winter Ball with.
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Speaking of Johnson, the left-hander will soon find out if his extended respite was what the doctor ordered. Johnson is slated to work the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader in Syracuse (John Smoltz is on target to work the opener). It will mark Johnson’s first appearance since May 31 – two days before getting transferred to Single-A Lowell.
After starting off the season with 10 scoreless innings, Johnson has been torched for 34 runs in 32 1/3 innings, which totals out to a 9.53 ERA. He hasn’t reached five innings in any of his previous four starts.
“There are different classifications of developing,” explained Johnson. “You’ve got (Buchholz), who is dominating the level right now, moving along. Then you’ve got a young guy [Johnson] who’s getting his first look. I’m not putting a whole lot of emphasis on numbers and things of that nature with Kris.”
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EXTRA BASES: To make room for Bates, the PawSox placed Sean Danielson on the 7-day disabled list (right calf strain). … Reliever Javier Lopez was landed on the DL with left bicep tendinitis, retroactive to last Friday.  … Chris Carter returned to the lineup Monday after sitting out the previous two games with a tight hamstring. … Johnson was upbeat on the progress Jonathan Van Every (on the DL with left knee sprain) made Monday. The outfielder made it through batting practice without any setbacks. “We’ll try and get him activated (tonight),” said Johnson. … The eight-game homestand closes out tonight with Buchholz (4-0, 1.74 ERA, good for second in the I.L.) against Durham’s Carlos Hernandez (4-2, 3.30 ERA). … Pawtucket will then enjoy its third off-day of the season on Wednesday before partaking in a five-game in four days series in Syracuse. Sunday’s game against the Chiefs will take place at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y.