Sox PA Announcer – Ladies and Gentleman, today’s starting shortstop for the Boston Red Sox is Jed Lowrie, correction Julio Lugo, correction again it’s…..? Oh hell with it does anyone in the crowd WANT to play shortstop for the Sox today, due to recent injuries the club needs you?
Once upon a time the Boston Red Sox entered the 2009 season with high hopes for this year plus a controversy brewing at shortstop. One of the team’s question marks going into spring training involved the battle going on between players Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie, who both wanted the starting job. By the end of the spring the clear cut winner was Lowrie, thanks in part too Lugo going down with an injury. Now it appears for the time being, and possibly the season that’s tossed right out the window as both Lugo and Lowrie are currently sitting on the disabled list (DL) with various ailments.
For Lugo, who’s currently down in Fort Myers, Florida rehabbing his injury (a meniscus tear in his right knee), one thing is very important not only for the Sox but for the Lugo himself, don’t rush back! The last bit of news the Sox don’t need to hear is that they rushed him back into the line-up too quickly, and he’s lost again to the DL or worse, lost for the season. If things continue to improve for Lugo, he could possibly start another rehab stint at Triple-A Pawtucket, around the 21st of this month to prepare for his return to the club.
In the case of Lowrie, there are TOO many questions and not enough answers concerning his injury, the treatment, his timetable for return or how to treat it. It’s been bothering him for a few weeks now, but was just only made known to manager Terry Francona, late last weekend while the Sox were playing the A’s! It appears this injury is the same that affected Lowrie towards the end of the 2008 season when he played with a small non-displaced fracture in his left wrist. Lowrie who’s due to meet with an Arizona specialist today will hopefully leave that meeting with Dr. Donald Sheridan with some much needed answers concerning his future.
Time will tell if this injury is something that rest will help heal, or if a surgery is required to treat it. If surgery is needed one question that pops up, would he be able to return this season, or is his season in jeopardy? If things work out Lowrie and the Sox might have some news either good or bad within a few days or so, and they’d be able to proceed from there. In the mean time the starting duties will fall upon 30 year old Nick Green, who was recently recalled from Triple-A, with his back-up being Gil Velazquez, who was also called up this week.
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