Johnny Damon returned to the Boston Red Sox’s lineup Tuesday night without his fever or his beard.

He had missed the previous seven exhibition games because of flu-like symptoms. During that time, he also shaved off his beard and trimmed his still-flowing locks.

“I got sick of it,” the center fielder said. “So I had to trim it up and take on a new look for a couple of days. The beard is going to be back probably three or four days from now.”

Damon played in just six games, going 5-for-15, before being sidelined last week. Not much of a fan of spring training, he knows he still needs more game action to prepare for the regular season.

“I don’t want to leave spring training and have doubts,” he said before the Red Sox lost, 6-4, to the Cincinnati Reds at Fort Myers, Fla. “I want to make sure I’m ready. I know there’s going to be some tough at-bats, regardless, during the season.”

Damon went 0-for-3. He popped out to second base, struck out swinging and grounded to second before leaving the game.

Last season, he hit .304 with career highs of 20 homers and 94 RBIs as the leadoff hitter for the World Series champions.

Damon had been sidelined because of cellulitis, an infection of connective tissue, and manager Terry Francona didn’t have him in his original lineup Tuesday.

“He talked me into it,” Francona said. “Let him shake some of that rust off.”

At Mesa, Ariz., Cubs closer Joe Borowski was hit by a line drive in a game Monday. He learned Tuesday he had a broken arm. His loss is another blow to Chicago’s pitching staff already depleted by injuries to Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.

Borowski is wearing a splint and will begin a throwing program when the healing process is complete, approximately six weeks.

Borowski was attempting to come back from a partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder this spring. The injury ended his season in June last year.

“I’ve worked so hard to get back, and I’m just going to take this as another bump in the road,” Borowski said. “Fortunately, all the doctors say it should heal without any problems. That’s good news.”

The news was even better for starters Andy Pettitte and Odalis Perez.

At Kissimmee, Fla., Pettitte allowed two runs and four hits in his first start of the spring, leading the Houston Astros over the Washington Nationals, 8-2.

“I felt like my breaking stuff was decent, and mechanically I felt good,” Pettitte said. “I felt like my velocity was better than the other day, and that’s a good thing. I don’t feel like (the Nationals) really got a good swing off me. They got a few hits, but I really felt good about the way the ball was moving.”

Pettitte is trying to rebound from an injury-plagued 2004 season that was cut short by elbow surgery in August.

At Jupiter, Fla., Perez allowed a run on three hits in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Florida Marlins, walked none and felt no recurring effects from the left biceps tendinitis that has sidelined him most of the spring.

Mets 7, Braves 6

At Port St. Lucie, Fla., Mike Piazza hit his first homer of the spring, and his backup, Ramon Castro, homered in the bottom of the 10th. Tom Glavine gave up six runs and nine hits in 52/3 innings.

Devil Rays 12, Orioles 0

At Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Alex Gonzalez and Toby Hall hit consecutive homers off Sidney Ponson in the third inning. Ponson allowed 11 hits and seven runs in four innings.

Tigers 15, Pirates 2

At Bradenton, Fla., Craig Monroe drove in five runs by hitting two of Detroit’s five homers during a 21-hit game.

Cubs 5, Brewers 4

At Mesa, Ariz., Nomar Garciaparra homered and had a two-run double for Chicago, and Jeromy Burnitz added a two-run home run.

A’s 15, Rangers 9

At Surprise, Ariz., Rich Harden gave up seven runs and seven hits in four innings — five runs came in the first when he was tipping his pitches. Keith Ginter hit a two-run homer for the A’s.

Diamondbacks 6, Angels 6

At Tempe, Ariz., Arizona third baseman Troy Glaus had three hits and three RBIs against his former team.

Mariners 6, White Sox 4

At Tucson, White Sox ace Mark Buehrle threw off a mound and did some balancing exercises to test his injured foot. Jose Contreras pitched six innings of three-hit ball.

Reds 6, Red Sox 4

At Fort Myers, Fla., Tim Wakefield allowed six runs on eight hits, including Adam Dunn’s two-run homer, in 31/3 innings.