There's another banged-up Red Sox player nearing a return to the club as third baseman Mike Lowell is scheduled for a minor league rehab assignment.
Manager Terry Francona announced that Lowell, who has also played first base and DH this season, has received a cortisone injection in his surgically repaired right hip Monday in New York.
After two days off following the injection, he'll head to Pawtucket's McCoy Stadium for Thursday's PawSox game where he'll serve as DH. He'll then head to Columbus and play over the weekend, and likely appear again on Tuesday after an off-day, as the club would like to see him appear in four games over six days for the Triple-A club, according to ESPN.com.
In just 31 games for the Red Sox this season, Lowell owns a .213 average with two homers and 12 RBIs.
In other injury news, catcher Victor Martinez took batting practice on Monday with head trainer Mark Reinold, and it's possible that the switch-hitting All-Star slugger could return next week in Anaheim.
