BOSTON -- It was exactly two years ago that Ryan Kalish was called up from Pawtucket to make his major league debut for the Red Sox. Facing the Detroit Tigers, he singled in his first at-bat, setting off an impressive 53-game stint with Boston to finish the 2010 season.

On the two-year anniversary, Kalish was called up from Pawtucket again, this time to replace the injured Ryan Sweeney, who could miss the rest of the season after breaking his left pinkie while punching a door Monday night. Again Kalish will face the Tigers. This time, however, he is better prepared for the transition.

“It just shows how fast your career can go by,” Kalish said Tuesday at Fenway Park. “You want to do what you can do as fast as you can do it because two years went like this, and I was hurt so I couldn’t even have fun.”

The injuries that Kalish alluded to, specifically one to his shoulder suffered early last season, made his first stint with the Red Sox this year somewhat difficult to manage. Because of a rash of injuries to outfielders on the big club, he was rushed through a set of rehab games at three levels of the minors before finding himself in the mix at Fenway Park, perhaps ahead of when the organization otherwise would have wanted. That caused the youngster to forget what the game meant to him.

“This is a game that’s meant to be played fun and a lot of times I felt that I was pressing, wanting to do a lot to help the team,” he said. “Obviously that’s what we want, but you have to do it at a calm state and I think trying to keep the attitude that you have in the minor leagues, take it up here is probably the best chance for success.

“That’s something I’m already feeling. I slept last night. That’s something I didn’t do last time.”

Kalish hit .217 in 18 games in his first trip to the majors this season. He struck out 15 times in 63 at-bats, walked only twice, committed a pair of errors in center field (including one on a dropped fly ball) and had some mistakes on the bases.

His manager sees Kalish coming into a better situation this time around.

“Ryan Kalish has been playing extremely well and is even more healthy than the last time he was here,” Bobby Valentine said. “He is going to be a nice addition for us.”