Lowrie really getting around

Rookie valuable as injury fill-in

While the conventional wisdom (read: scouts) places Jed Lowrie at second base long term as a major leaguer, Red Sox first base and infield coach Luis Alicea offered another option yesterday. Though Lowrie has played only sparingly at third base, including his major league debut, additional seasoning at the position could bode well for his future.

"When I got him [in 2005 in short-season Lowell], he was mostly a second baseman and he played very well," Alicea said of the former sandwich pick. "I've seen him play from spring training on at short and he's got some issues on certain balls that he's not comfortable on, because last year was his first year completely playing shortstop. Now in the spring he picked up third base very well. Although he hasn't played for a long time, he has done a very good job.

"I think he has the arm strength to play third base and I think it could probably end up being a better position for him."

Lowrie started at shortstop last night, as manager Terry Francona gave Julio Lugo a day off. The rookie went 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI in the 11-3 rout of Texas. In his debut Tuesday night against the Indians, Lowrie played good defense and went 1 for 4 with three RBIs. For now, all the Sox are looking for out of the 24-year-old is for him to be a fill-in with Mike Lowell and Alex Cora on the disabled list.

Lowrie spends time each day working with Alicea at second base, shortstop, and third base, and works in the cage with hitting coach Dave Magadan. Lowrie has been more advanced offensively than defensively for some time, his patience at the plate well developed even as he was progressing through Single and Double A.

"Defensively, there are times when he can be a little high," Alicea said. "His base, we would like him to be a little wider, but he's got the arm strength to play all three of them. He's shown it already."

Icing on the ache

Righthander David Aardsma, who got hit on his glove hand in the eighth, was icing his palm after the game. He expected no long-term effects. He stayed in after the comebacker hit him . . . Francona said Jason Varitek didn't feel well coming out of the bullpen before the game, one reason the manager took the catcher out after the seventh inning and replaced him with Kevin Cash . . . The Red Sox have collected 10 or more hits in each of their last six games, batting .344 with 46 runs in that span . . . David Ortiz's grand slam was the eighth of his career, and first since Aug. 18 against the Angels. It was his seventh with the Sox, tying Jimmie Foxx, Jackie Jensen, Manny Ramírez, Mo Vaughn, and Carl Yastrzemski for sixth place in team history. All seven have come at Fenway, tying the club record held by Ted Williams and Jim Rice.

Lowell improving

Lowell reported that the pain in his injured thumb is subsiding. "I think it's less because the swelling has gone down," he said. "I can do a little more. So, I guess that's a good sign. They want me to be able to do a whole pregame routine pain-free. I guess before I do that, I've got to get to the [batting] tee first. From where I was nine days ago, I think we've really moved in the right direction significantly, so I've got to take that as a positive." . . . Though Francona said the team was still waiting on a report from the radiologist, there was nothing alarming on MRIs taken of Cora Wednesday and Thursday. But the team has decided that Cora will be held back until there's no pain in his right elbow. "The only movement I've had with the arm was the remote, just watching these clowns play," Cora said. "Watching Sean Casey, a professional athlete, with no balance. We've still got to wait. I thought it was something, a few days, and now it looks like it's weeks." That includes the week Cora already has been inactive.

Colon a ways away

Bartolo Colon (strained oblique) made 25 tosses in New York Thursday, but has not yet progressed far enough for the Sox to anticipate him throwing even up to 180 feet. Colon is still not close to getting back on a mound, though he has had no setbacks . . . Lefthander Nick Hagadone will likely miss a start after being taken out Wednesday by the Single A Greenville Drive because of tightness in his elbow . . . The Red Sox are encouraging fans to use public transportation for the games tomorrow and Monday against the Rangers. The women's Olympic marathon trials will start at 8 a.m. tomorrow, which means parts of Massachusetts and Commonwealth Avenues and Boylston Street will be closed from 7 a.m. to noon. On Monday, there will be closures of parts of Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street, Boylston Street, Kenmore Square, and Brookline Avenue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. because of the Marathon.