From the Red Sox, with more to come on this from our Globe baseball crew at Fenway Park (Update: Bob Ryan tonight wrote about Lowell, and Tony Massarotti checked in earlier today with this piece on Lowell.)

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox today replaced third baseman Mike Lowell on the active roster for the 2008 American League Division Series due to a right hip strain.

Boston has replaced Lowell on the active roster with infielder Gil Velazquez, who will be available tonight for Game 4 of the ALDS versus the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Lowell started Games 1 and 3 of this series and is hitless in 8 at bats. He has been bothered by the hip injury for much of the second half of the season and had just one at bat over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Since the injury replacement is being made in the middle of a series, Lowell would not be eligible for the active roster in the event the Red Sox advance to the American League Championship Series.

Velazquez, who wears #51, was purchased from Triple-A Pawtucket on September 25 and was 1-for-8 with one RBI in 3 regular season games in his major league debut. The righthanded-hitting Velazquez batted .260 with 10 homers and 46 RBI in 101 games at Pawtucket in 2008 while playing all 4 infield positions and left field.