enlarge The Associated Press

Boston's David Ortiz, seen at batting practice Friday at Fenway Park, stretches the left wrist that put him on the disabled list May 31. He'll play three games in Portland soon.

BOSTON — David Ortiz, on the disabled list since May 31 with a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, is expected to return to Boston's lineup on July 25 for the opener of a series against the New York Yankees.

"I feel good," the Red Sox designated hitter said after hitting off a pitching machine on Saturday. "I was acting like I normally do: locating, check swing, swing and a miss -- stuff like that. Everything was fine. That's all I need. Make sure there's no pain when I'm doing that."

Manager Terry Francona said Ortiz looked good during batting practice Friday with the pitching machine set at high speed, prompting the team to schedule a six-game rehabilitation stint in the minor leagues. Ortiz will start with three games in Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday, followed by three games in Double-A Portland.

"If everything is going OK, we can turn him loose," Francona said. "Three days in Pawtucket, a down day, then maybe three more days in Double-A where he didn't have to travel, have a day off in between, then meet us when we come back from that road trip. That's not etched in stone, but that's what we're looking at."

If all goes well, Ortiz will be back for the weekend series against New York at Fenway Park. He is batting .252 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs in 54 games this season.

"Sometimes I get a little sore, but it's not the sore that bothers me to play," Ortiz said. "Hopefully when we start facing speed and things like that, I'll feel the same way I feel when I'm hitting."

Meanwhile, Boston placed shortstop Julio Lugo on the 15-day disabled list with a left quad strain on Saturday. Lugo was injured Friday night running out an infield single in the ninth inning of a 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Red Sox also called up shortstop Jed Lowrie from Pawtucket to replace Lugo. Lowrie was in the lineup for Saturday's game with Baltimore.

Lugo was hitting .268 with 12 steals for Boston this season. Lowrie hit .310 with 7 RBI in 17 games with Boston earlier this year.