As NESN.com's Tony Lee reports, Lowrie reported feeling run down — as if he had been "hit by a truck," according to Boston manager Terry Francona. The team sent him to undergo several medical tests, which are ongoing.
"We think he's fine, we just want to eliminate anything," Francona continued. "He's been fatigued a little bit. We just want to rule out stuff. I think what happens a lot of times, you get down [to Florida for spring training], you get on the bus, you get sick, which he is, and you feel beat up. We just want to make sure that's what it is."
More information should be forthcoming once the tests are concluded and Lowrie returns to the team.
Lowrie was viewed as the Red Sox shortstop of the future after making his major league debut in 2008 and tallying 260 at-bats despite having difficulty with his left wrist.
It was those difficulties that shelved him for the majority of the 2009 season. With shortstop Marco Scutaro now in the fold along with young Cuban phenom Jose Iglesias in the minors, Lowrie suddenly has a lot of competition on his hands.
Barring injury, he is expected to open the season in Triple-A Pawtucket to log significant playing time, making up for development lost in 2009.
