Lowell is playing through the pain
Sore hip flexor has been a prolonged problem
When a team has gone through an ugly period involving a disruptive teammate, such as Manny Ramírez, you notice when a hurting team leader like Mike Lowell does everything he can to play.
Perhaps Lowell has no business playing right now with a sore right hip flexor that has caused him discomfort and pain for five weeks, but Lowell had two hits from the cleanup spot last night and made a couple of stellar plays at third base in the Red Sox' 12-2 win over Oakland.
With the game in hand, Lowell was lifted in the top of the seventh inning. He is expected to play in the series finale today.
"He made some great plays at third," said manager Terry Francona. "Nobody has ever questioned his toughness. He wants to play every day. He shows up to win and tonight was a great example of that."
Lowell, who legged out a double to start Boston's four-run third inning, is unsure of what's to come. He had a cortisone shot before the All-Star break, but that didn't alleviate the pain.
"When I slow down is when I feel it grabbing, not so much when I'm running. It doesn't let me extend normally," Lowell explained.
Lowell was to meet with team medical director Thomas Gill yesterday to determine the course of action.
"I think we've tried everything treatment-wise," said Lowell. "That's why we're going to talk to the doctor and see what he wants to do. Maybe with a supersonic anti-inflammatory it will come down.
"We've tried heat, stretch, stim, ultrasound, massage. We've kind of exhausted everything. I don't know. It's just a nagging thing that hasn't gone away."
Lowell said the condition does not affect his swing, but it does affect his running. That's when it hurts the most.
"Thankfully it's not a major aspect of the game for me," he said. "I'm not that fast to start, so I really feel slow."
A story in Saturday's Globe, citing a source with direct knowledge of the trade negotiations, indicated that Boras asked the Sox to take away the two option years on Ramírez's contract in exchange for the left fielder's word that he would play hard and be a good teammate the remainder of the season.
"I never contacted the Red Sox after the deal was made," Boras said.
How about before?
"Theo [Epstein] and I had many discussions," Boras said. "Both parties agreed that it was in the best interest of everyone involved for Manny to move forward."
Boras did not address whether the dropping of the options was discussed in his earlier conversations with Epstein. The Red Sox did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Boras said he has not directly heard Ramírez disparage the Red Sox, but had read quotes attributed to Ramírez concerning his displeasure with team management. "From my point of view in dealing with the Red Sox, they did things in a forthright manner," said Boras.
