NewsRed Sox place Lowell on disabled list
Bailey recalled with third baseman sidelined by right hip
By Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com
06/30/09 6:43 PM ET
BALTIMORE -- The Red Sox placed third baseman Mike Lowell on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday, hoping to give his troublesome right hip some more time to heal.Lowell underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in the hip during the offseason, and he had 15 CCs of fluid removed on Monday. He also received an injection of Synvisc, a lubricant that helps alleviate pain in joints.
The 35-year-old Lowell started just two of the team's past nine games and returned to Boston for treatment on the hip following Sunday's game in Atlanta. He was hitting .282 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 68 games when placed on the DL.
The Red Sox recalled first baseman/outfielder Jeff Bailey from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Lowell's roster spot. Bailey was in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game in Baltimore, batting ninth and playing first base. Kevin Youkilis was moved to third base.
The Red Sox feel this is the right move to make for Lowell and the team.
"Mikey showed up today and felt great," said manager Terry Francona. "Great, like to the point where he's thinking about maybe he could play in a couple of days. [But] if he plays a couple of days, takes a day off, plays a couple of days and he's not feeling as good as he wants, we've kind of ruined a really good opportunity to get him back after the All-Star break playing again the majority of the time and feeling good."
It turns out that Lowell would have missed the Orioles series even if he hadn't gone on the DL. Francona said that Lowell's hip is fine structurally, just that it needs some rest and treatment, especially to keep Lowell strong for the second half of the season.
"I think it's the best thing for Mikey," Francona said. "I think it all kind of meshes and works. He's an everyday player for us, so I think that's why we're doing this."
Because the move to the DL is retroactive to June 28, the Red Sox can use the three-day All-Star break to give Lowell a few more days of rest and hope he can play to start the second half. It works out to be 19 days and 14 games.
"We need him to win," said second baseman Dustin Pedroia. "Hopefully, when his time is up on the DL ... he'll get that thing rested and get back to normal."
Jeff Seidel is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
