A baseball source has told NESN that Mike Lowell will undergo thumb surgery on his right thumb sometime after Christmas for a torn radial collateral ligament.
The procedure is considered to be minor surgery and will require six to eight weeks of recovery time. The news likely puts an end to the potential trade of Lowell to the Rangers.
A trade involving Lowell and the Rangers was first reported on Dec. 10, but three days later, it was reported that a thumb injury could hold the deal up. On Monday, reports surfaced that Lowell may need thumb surgery to repair the injury.
The Rangers would have sent catcher Max Ramirez
to the Red Sox in exchange for Lowell with the Red Sox agreeing to pay
$9 million of the $12 million remaining on Lowell's contract for 2010.