By BRENDAN MCGAIR

Sports writer

PAWTUCKET – If you’re a catcher in the Red Sox farm system and intend to one day become the heir to Jason Varitek, there’s a mandatory course to take: Dealing with a Knuckleball Pitcher 101.
Mark Wagner found himself enrolled the moment he arrived in Pawtucket last month. With Charlie Zink serving as the primary instructor, the 25-year-old Wagner has been privy to the element of surprise. Last night marked the second time Wagner found himself behind the plate for a Zink start.
“You just try to go out and catch it. Sometimes it’s really dancing, other times you have to hang in and do your best to catch it for a strike,” replied Wagner when asked to divulge his philosophy. “There’s no real art to catching it. You just hope it doesn’t end up behind you.”
Wagner’s prior dealings with Zink came in spring training. He has since learned to let his eyes serve as his primary guide. Obtaining an oversized mitt was also high on the to-do list.
“I’m still having to borrow,” admitted the gregarious backstop, who dipped into Dusty Brown’s private stash. “I caught Charlie a couple of times in the bullpen to make sure I could do it and that we’re on the same page.”
“He hasn’t had any problems,” said Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson when asked how Wagner has fared.
There is one part of this knuckleball business that still catches Wagner a bit off-guard. “It’s kind of strange going from one glove to another in the middle of the game,” he said. “Hopefully that happens in the eighth when Zink has given us seven strong innings.”
Wagner, who avoided getting charged a passed ball in Zink’s July 6 start in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, is obviously using his time with Pawtucket’s butterfly specialist to better equip himself with what could potentially be in store at the big-league level.
“We’ve got a great guy like Tim Wakefield up there, just as we do down here with Charlie Zink,” said Wagner. “You hope catching one helps prepare you better for the other. You want to get a shot to [catch Wakefield], but you just try to be ready every single day.”
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The winds of change swept through the home clubhouse Friday. Jed Lowrie’s locker was cleaned out, signifying that the shortstop was Toronto-bound. Making his way back to McCoy Stadium was first baseman/outfielder Aaron Bates, who Johnson expected to arrive prior to gametime.
“He’s not in the starting lineup, but he is on the card and will be available,” said Johnson when asked if Bates would see action last night.
Catcher Carlos Maldonado was reinstated from the disabled list after the PawSox found themselves short a catcher. The reason: Dusty Brown was in Boston with his wife Jordan, who gave birth to the couple’s first child at approximately 5:20 p.m. The name Jude was selected, which makes sense given the Brown’s are Beatles fans.
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Monday in Rochester will mark Billy Traber’s second straight start after a string of 27 consecutive relief appearances. Time will tell if Traber remains in Pawtucket’s rotation upon the expected return of Clay Buchholz.
“I’ve made the move [to the rotation] before, just not in a while,” said Traber. “You don’t want to over think. The best mindset is to just go out and get outs.
“As a player you don’t ask questions,” the southpaw continued. “Our job is to be on the field. Behind the scenes is their business.”
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Fernando Cabrera’s All-Star first half, the highlight a perfect 17-for-17 in save chances, certainly makes him appealing with clubs who wish to negotiate a trade with the Red Sox. His preference, however, is to stay put, even with zero openings currently available in the Boston bullpen.
“I want to stay, I love this organization and the opportunities they have given me,” said Cabrera. “I know I’m still (in Triple-A), but I feel comfortable. Everyone in Boston is doing a great job, but you never know what can happen in this game.”
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This afternoon (2-3:15) marks the third Free Youth Clinic of the season. Joining PawSox coaching staff will be the following players: Hunter Jones, T.J. Large, Sean Danielson, Jeff Natale, Gil Velazquez, Travis Denker and Mark Wagner.