Francona on Lowell: 'I really don't know what we're going to do tomorrow'

I would not start Lowell Friday and see how he is for the home game against the lefty on Sunday.

All the pressure's on LAA in Game 2. Rest Lowell. Let Coco play and beat 'em with defense.

Lowell's injury is not news. Why did the Sox place him on the roster for the series?

Youk to third with Casey/Kotsay play first to start the game. In the later innings, move Youk to 1st, Lowrie to 3rd and Cora to Short. I wouldn't count on seeing Lowell too much longer. He might feel OK when he's on the field, but he must be waking up in excruciating pain the next day.

I think it's only a matter of time before Lowell is out for the playoffs. The guy winces whenever he does anything and looks quite ineffective. I love him, but I think they're delaying the inevitable. Hope I'm wrong. As to Beckett, great. It will be interesting that it's Kotsay and not Casey against Santana.

A torn labrum is no small injury, especially given the discomfort and reduction in mobility that Mike's dealing with. I hope I'm wrong, but judging by my experience with a torn glenoid (shoulder) labrum a few years ago, he's probably looking at surgery post-season. I can't imagine how he could play through that kind of pain. Tough guy.

Yup...definitely rest him Friday. See if the rest can help him play Sunday. Hopefully we can win tomorrow night and go for the kill Sunday and then be able to rest everybody...but if we have to gut it out without Lowell I'm confident we have the versatility to do it. I don't like playing guys who are hurt to the point of hampering their production when you have capable guys healthy on the bench. Go Sox!

Jeff S...Cora has worse than Jeteresque range at short now.

Save Lowell for later series. It isn't worth risking an injury for this series. We should be able to take two more games with our pitching.

I would like to suggest to all you arm chair managers to let Mr. Francona, his staff and Mike Lowell make the best decision for the team, sit back and enjoy the games, and who knows, maybe we'll all be celebrating another Trophy in a couple of weeks.

Mike lowell is the ultimate gamer.....What he is doing this yr to help the team is very similar to the sacrfice that Schilling made in '04.........Schilling has never been the same pitcher since, which made his sacrifice even more meaningful......Let's hope that Lowell is not endangering his career by playing with this injury...... If Manny had even half as much heart as Schill and Lowell, just think what kind of player he would be.......GO SOX!!!!!

Mr. McDonough,
Did you actually READ the article?

They put him on the roster because he is the "ultimate teammate".... and Francona is "old school" in that he believes in rewarding teamwork....

Even if he can't play, his contributions in the dugout will be immense.

youk to third Casey to first. Rest him the next game. Sox are playing with house money right now being up one-love..

I think they need to keep Mike for a potential pinch hit role.

I'm skeptical about his not being able to make this condition worse by playing on it.

Sounds like Lowell can hit and fielding is the problem. It's the playoffs and it's time to pull out all the stops...meaning papi to first, lowell as DH and Youk to 3B should be considered.

Lowell @ DH, Youk @ 3rd and Papi @ 1st

Coco doesn't play the infield. Youk to 3B, Casey or Kotsay at 1B. Preferably Casey.

Mike Lowell has been tremendous for the Sox. If he is hurt as bad as it looks, then let him rest. We paid a lot of money for Casey and Kotsay for these type situations. Casey is much stronger at first and given the chance his bat will help the Sox. Mike has paid his dues and allegiance to the Sox. He still has several more good quality years left, and to permanently hurt himself will hurt the sox in the long run. Plus he doesnt look like he is can swing with all his ability at the plate. We have a good strong team this year, and someone should be able to pick up for Mike. No way Crisp for Elsbury in Center. keep the outfield the same.

Putting Cora in at Shortstop would be a big mistake. The combination of Cora and Francona make for a potentially disasterous situation, especially in the late innings. Francona never removes Cora for a pinch hitter when the game is on the line. And the best you can hope for is that Cora doesn't hit into a double play. He is a guaranteed Out in these situations. It appears to me that Cora is frightened and is wishing a pinch hitter would rescue him.

i had the very same torn labrum injury in my right hip last year; it's very painful at best, can be excruciating at times, and certain movements are just awful. he's probably not going to make it any worse by playing, but the pain is constant and can spike at any time, particularly with some of the more quick and excessive movements, like fielding bunts. i had a great surgeon at Newton/Wellesley who fixed me up last winter and w/in 4 days i was pain free and back to running 8-10 miles/day w/in 4 months (i'm 45). he'll come back from this, but its not a small injury and a day off here and there won't make him feel any better; it simply needs the surgical procedure to shave off the torn and irritating cartilage. i wish him well, and know that he'll be back in great shape next year, but if i were terry, i would use him very judiciously. it's a bitch of an injury, and thankfully the few surgeons in the country who do this procedure are in boston. i think he just needs to be done with

baseball for the season, get the procedure done and get healthy.

I'd start Eddie Jurak at third, Youk at DH and Ortiz at first. Then have Dave Stapleton come in as a defensive replacement at first base in case Mookie Figgins hits a high hoper that way late in the game.

In 2004, I had the same surgery that Lowell is going to have. It was quite painful. (and actually my Dr. wants to cut me again as I am not 100%)

Here is my take on Lowell and his injury:
- He can still play. It just gets worse with activity. Might make sense to sit him for one game and take the extra rest, but no amount of rest will make it all better. If he wants to play this year, he has to play with pain.
- It must hurt something awful as I am sure he is on plenty of pain relievers
- It hurts to run any distance. Probably 90 ft. is a lot for him right now
- He is likely to NOT cause further damage by playing. This injury is not related to playing.
- I agree that lateral movement is the hardest. It feels like your leg is coming out of its socket
- It is a 6 month+ recovery period. Do not expect him for the start of 2009. I bet June1

I trust that Francona and Lowell will make the right call

Jeff K-he dont need to be on the roster to be in the dugout. go sox.

How about Youk on 3rd, Drew on first, Coco RF and your Mom on my face ??

It's not worth risking defense to put lowell as DH. Give him tomorrow off and hopefully he'll be strong for the rest of the playoffs. I think a few periodic days off when the games arent do or die could really help.

I was thinking along the same lines as eutychus. Papi could move to the DH role if needed and kotsay could slip to 1st.

Read the incredible Bill Simmons piece on espn.com on what a crazy decision it was to let go of Manny....great piece of writing.

Best wishes to Mikey Lowell. Time to rest the poor guy. LIke others, I hope he isn't causing himself lasting damage by playing injured.

The last time that a Red Sox manager kept an immobile, marginalized player into a playoff roster out of loyalty. It cost them. See "Buckner". Enough said. Stop screwing around with sentimentality. This isn't the time.

Eutychus...pulling out all the stops means putting Ortiz at first? You are clearly a highly educated baseball fan....

Lowell is THE man. I think it is fine resting him for Game 2. Jeff S (poster number 4) had the right steps (according to me). Youk at 3rd. Late innings move Jed to 3rd, Youk to 1st, Cora at SS.

Sox are gonna win, no matter.

BTW, one last thought. I can't say enough about Francona. How cool is the guy? He's a manager most players would love to play for. Total team man.

are the red sox playing the invisible man?
no mention of your opponent..
beat the angels cause we want home field.
then you will meet your new tormentor.

We should try to unload Lowell and get some blue chip top quality talent in return. He's old and overpaid, but teams LOVE getting Red Sox players so they'll over pay and we'll get raw talent that we can mold into a superstar for years to come.

Mary Cranston,
My word. . .what's a nice lady. . .who's on first, what's on second, and "your Mom's on my face?" Wow! I like Papi at first better and Youk at third with Mikey as DH SOME of the games.

//Read the incredible Bill Simmons piece on espn.com on what a crazy decision it was to let go of Manny....great piece of writing.//

Bill Simmons is an idiot. Great piece of writing? Rambling, unfocused, childish screed more like it.

Simmons was upset becaue the Sox moved on from 2004 and rebuilt the team. He wanted Dave Roberts to stay so he could get standing ovations when he came up to bat. Clueless. .

Francona will not play Lowell out of sentiment. If Mike isn't well enough to be effective, he will sit. Obviously Youkilis at 3rd and Casey/Kotsay at 1st, depending on the opposing pitcher. J.D. Drew should also be looked at carefully. He did not look like the batter he was. Perhaps it was rust or perhaps it was pain. Don't know. But sentimentality has no place in putting your best team in the field. We, real baseball fans, love Mike and J.D., but play your best team.