Terry Francona called Daisuke Matsuzaka into his office to show him video of the Japanese pitcher’s only home run. Then the Boston Red Sox manager made sure there would be no repeat Friday.

Francona told Matsuzaka not to swing when he comes to bat against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the game with no designated hitter at Vero Beach.

It’s just not worth risking an injury to the outstanding rookie on a spring training swing even if he did hit a homer last June 9 against former major leaguer Darwin Cubillan of Hanshin in an interleague game. Matsuzaka’s club, the Seibu Lions, don’t use the DH in the Pacific League.

“I called him in yesterday and showed him his home run. I had it on my computer,” Francona said before Thursday night’s game against the New York Mets. “So I told him I know he’s a good hitter and to save it because he’s not swinging.”

Pitching coach John Farrell already had delivered that message.

“Obviously, he wants to” swing, Matsuzaka said through an interpreter. “When the season begins, they will practice hitting before the interleague games start.”

Atlanta left-hander Mike Hampton strained the oblique muscle in his left side taking a batting practice swing on March 7 and could be sidelined two months.

But Francona said that wasn’t the main reason for ordering Matsuzaka and Josh Beckett, who started against the Mets, to keep their bats on their shoulders.

“It’s motivated by the fact that they haven’t swung and if we’re being overprotective, good,” Francona said. “I worry enough in interleague (games) about them getting hurt. It just makes no sense to me to let some guy take a hard swing after not swinging the bat for eight months.”

He really had to emphasize that to Beckett, who batted in his first five seasons with Florida. In his first season with Boston last year, he was 3-for-7 with one homer.

“Beckett’s already had his tantrum in (the clubhouse) and it’s over with,” Francona said, “and I’ll remind Beckett probably 30 or 40 times.

“I understand they want to swing. I don’t blame them, but they’re not,” he said.

AP-ES-03-15-07 1931EDT