FORT MYERS, Fla. — A few quick updates from Red Sox manager Terry Francona before Nomar Garciaparra’s return to the Sox. (In case you missed it, Nomar is signing a one-day minor-league contract to retire as a member of the organization he began with.)

- Francona talked at length about his time with Garciaparra, which included a stint in the Arizona Fall League. The Red Sox manager said that while in the AFL former Sox manager Kevin Kennedy and his bench coach, Tim Johnson, had come out to see Garciaparra, and asked Francona if the prospect could play second base. The Sox, of course, chose to move John Valentin over to second instead. “I remember telling Kevin, ‘I don’t know who you have at shortstop, but you might want to move them to shortstop because this kid can play,’” Francona said.

Francona also noted that while Garciaparra wasn’t pulling the ball in the AFL “you could see it coming.”

“Any time a 20-year-old kid personally hands out Christmas cards three weeks early, he’s got his head screwed on right,” Francona said. “He was smart and asked good questions.”

The Sox manager also noted that he didn’t understand the magnitude of trading Garciaparra in 2004, saying the shortstop was probably “Boston-ed out.” “I just had no idea,” Francona said. “I laugh now with Theo about it. It was a big deal … How big a deal it was with the fans. I hadn’t been in Boston long enough to know about it.

“When it was over, laughing with Theo saying, ‘I’m behind you every step of the way, not in front of you.’”

- Jason Varitek is back with the team after tending to a personal issue. Francona said that he would like to get Varitek some work in before putting him back in game action, having only had two at-bats thus for in spring training.

- Mike Lowell tended to a personal issue Tuesday but was back with the team Wednesday. Francona wanted to talk to the medical staff before committing to any sort of timetable as to when Lowell might see his first game action. Lowell’s hope earlier in the week was to play in the game by the end of the week.

- The plan was to have J.D. Drew and David Ortiz take two ‘work’ days before playing in the Red Sox’ game against the Mets in Port St. Lucie Thursday. Drew sat out Tuesday with an illness, but Ortiz took a lengthy round of batting practice.