No matter what he did to recuperate from the strained right Achilles’ tendon that landed him on the disabled list July 17, David Ortiz knew his return would be based not on his ability to clobber a baseball, but on how he was able to run the bases.

Thursday afternoon at Fenway Park, the Red Sox designated hitter cleared that final hurdle, fueling optimism that he would be activated for Friday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals.