J.D. Drew will begin a rehab assignment at Lowell on Friday, according to reports out of Texas.
Terry Francona informed reporters of the plans for Drew prior to Monday's series opener in Texas. After two games with the Spinners, Drew is expected to play for Pawtucket next Tuesday and Wednesday before being activated Sept. 1.
Drew has been on the disabled list since July 26 with a left shoulder impingement. It was a big factor in his declining numbers this year and the team was hopeful that some time off to rebuild his strength would get Drew back to normal.
He was hitting just .219 with four home runs and 21 RBIs when placed on the DL.
Josh Reddick has seen the bulk of the playing time in Drew's absence. He performed great out of the chute but has hit a bit of a snag lately, batting just .125 (4-for-32) over his last 12 games. Drew may slide right back into the starting role.
