Setback has Lugo down and out

BALTIMORE - Whether Julio Lugo should be the Red Sox' starting shortstop upon his return from injury might be moot at this point.

It all depends on how he feels today.

Lugo, who has been on the disabled list since July 12 with a strained left quadriceps, said he may have suffered a setback while sprinting in the outfield prior to last night's game. He sat disconsolate near his locker muttering, "This is bad news. Bad news." Usually chipper and upbeat, he was visibly upset.

"I don't know where to go from here, but I know I had to shut it down, and we'll see how it is [today]," he said. "I'm very disappointed because I was ahead of schedule. I was a week or two ahead and I was going to go on a rehab assignment Monday at Triple A, and now this. I was sprinting and I felt something and I had to stop. I had to push it and it didn't react too well."

In Lugo's absence, Jed Lowrie has made a great impression on the brass and already appears to be a fan favorite. Lugo has never received the affection of the Sox fan base, who might feel his $9 million annual price tag is too much for what he's shown in two seasons with Boston.

But whether you like Lugo's game or not, he has worked relentlessly to get back as soon as possible.

"I've been on a routine schedule and I've put in my work and extra work and I really dedicated myself to getting back on the field," he said. "People don't understand how frustrating it is for a player not to play. This is what I've done all of my life. I wake up every morning and I play baseball. When that's taken away from you, you feel empty and lost. But I was getting excited again because I felt I was getting closer. I guess I'm a fast healer because my leg was really responding."

This was Lugo's second-longest stint on the DL. The longest was in 2002 when Kerry Wood shattered his elbow with a fastball.

"Whenever you suffer an injury, it makes you mad and it makes you frustrated," said Lugo. "Right now, after all the work I've put in to make it back, I feel like crying. You go through a lot of things to make that return. I stretch, I come out early to take ground balls, do your extra hitting. When you can't do it, it just doesn't feel right."

Lugo feels he's had a wasted year instead of what he wanted: a repeat of last season, when he was the starting shortstop on a world champion.

"This month is what it's all about," he said of the stretch run. "When you play the game, this is the month when you want to be out there helping your team win. It's just not the same thing sitting on the bench and cheering on your team. When you've played all your life, been a starter all your major league career, you come to the ballpark and you want to play."

At the time of his injury, Lugo was hitting .268 with 1 homer and 22 RBIs. He had 12 steals and had grounded into 13 double plays. He had also made 16 errors but had begun to play better in the field, as he did a year ago.

Is he what the Sox thought he would be when they acquired him as a free agent and paid out $36 million for four years? Not so far.

With Lowrie hitting .312 with 1 homer and 31 RBIs in 35 fewer games, the Sox have a decision to make, not only for the remainder of this year but in the offseason.

Do they commit to Lowrie as their regular shortstop, or does Lugo get his job back automatically?

Since Tom Brady supplanted Drew Bledsoe as the Patriots' starting quarterback in 2001, we look at these things much differently.

After this season, Lugo will have $18 million remaining on his deal. It appears unlikely the Sox would eat all of that, though they might swallow a large sum and make a trade, much as they did when they sent Edgar Renteria to Atlanta after his lackluster 2005 season.

Teams have liked Lugo's athleticism in the past, one reason the Sox signed him. Mets general manager Omar Minaya always felt Lugo could be a very good major league second baseman, and others in baseball share that sentiment, believing Lugo could play that position better than shortstop. But how much of his salary a team would take on is another story.

Lowrie, a switch hitter often compared to Bill Mueller, also appears to have a lot of trade value. Would the Sox package him, as they almost did during the winter? The Twins were interested in Lowrie as part of a deal for Johan Santana in the offseason. At this point, Lowrie appears to be a player with upside. Which is why the possibility of Lugo going elsewhere this winter seems to make more sense than dealing Lowrie.

The Sox' reaction when you mention Lowrie is telling. Manager Terry Francona loves the way he plays and swings the bat. Lowrie fits in with the team's hitting philosophy and he's a smart player with a steady hand in the field. Although there's been some question as to whether Lowrie would be better served at a different position - second or third - it's clear he is a shortstop.

Who knows if part of Lugo's angst is caused by watching Lowrie perform so well.

Whatever the reason, yesterday Lugo was clearly worried.

He hoped he'd wake up this morning feeling better. Even if he does, who knows whether he'll remain the starting shortstop.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.