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BOSTON -- Mike Lowell was happy to be back at Fenway Park, the place he called home for four years before hanging up his cleats after the 2010 season. Apparently, so were his two children.

“My kids asked me, ‘Are we ever going to come back to Boston?’ ” Lowell said to a small crowd of reporters before Friday’s game against the Mariners. “So I said, ‘Yeah, we’re going to come in the summer.’ We looked at the schedule and this [trip] was put in about six months ago, so it’s been nice.”

For the first time since last fall, Lowell returned to his old stomping grounds and took in a 7-4 Red Sox victory over the Mariners on a sweltering Friday night in Boston.

The former Sox third baseman met with many of his former teammates and coaches while at the ballpark, including close friend Dustin Pedroia, whom he also met for dinner on Thursday night.

"He's one of my closest friends in the game, so it's great to see him," said Pedroia when asked about Lowell. "He’s first class. I think if you ask anybody, he’s a guy that we miss, because of what kind of guy he is and what kind of player he was.”

Lowell also got the chance to catch up with Josh Beckett, who spent nearly 10 years with Lowell in both Florida and Boston. Of all the Sox players having success this year, Lowell says he's happiest for Beckett.

“I’ve been especially happy with how he’s been able to bounce back, so to speak, and I think he’s in a good place in his life,” said Lowell.

“I think he’s very stable and very happy where he is. I think some people wrote him off last year, and to be able to come back like that is good to see.”

Before Friday’s game, Lowell passed the time mingling with his former teammates while the Sox took batting practice, and his presence on the field raised the inevitable question: Would he ever consider returning to the game?

“I think I miss coming to a challenge every day,” Lowell admitted. “It’s what I’ve known for the better part of the last 17 years.”

Still, the 37-year-old said he has no plans to come out of retirement. “I’m still at peace with my decision, so I think I’ve made the right one,” he said.

“I’m very proud of what I did, [and] I don’t really regret anything as a player,” he added.

Lowell certainly has reason to be proud of his time in Boston. The former third baseman had a successful four-year tenure with the Red Sox, his crowning achievement coming in 2007 when he was named World Series MVP after batting .400 with a home run, four RBIs, and six runs scored in a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies.

Not bad for a player who was initially considered an afterthought in the Red Sox's 2005 blockbuster deal that landed them Marlins ace Beckett.

Lowell and Beckett are unique in that they won both won championships with Florida in 2003 and Boston in 2007. They are also both former World Series MVPs -- Beckett was named MVP of the 2003 World Series for his two dominating performances, including a shutout in the series-clinching Game 6, against the Yankees.

Lowell remarked that while his experiences with Florida and Boston were both very special, playing for four years in front of the Fenway faithful and winning a World Series in the process is something he’ll never forget.

“I enjoy living in Miami and people telling me that they appreciated the way I played in Florida, and I’m very proud of the years I had there, but the memories [of Boston] are much fresher,” said Lowell.

“The constant support, you can’t even compare Boston and Miami. It’s just two different attitudes towards sports, so in that sense it’s really cool to come back here and see almost an abnormal passion for the sport."

That passion was evident Friday night, when an image of Lowell in the NESN booth with broadcasters Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy flashed onto the JumboTron. The Fenway crowd of 38,048 immediately erupted in a roar, as fans rose to their feet to salute their former third baseman with a standing ovation.

No matter where his future takes him, it appears that Mike Lowell will always have a home in Boston.

BOSTON -- Red Sox veteran Mike Lowell has been all smiles this weekend, knowing it will be his last as a major leaguer.

He’s accomplished a lot during his 13-year career, including two World Series titles, with the Florida Marlins (2003) and the Red Sox (2007). He was also the MVP of the Fall Classic in 2007. The Red Sox honored him in a pregame ceremony Saturday.

“He’s probably got a lot of emotions,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona earlier in the day. “I would imagine he’s got a lot of emotions. I don’t know what they are, but knowing Mikey, if he gets a hit, he’ll be happier. That’s how most players are.

“To have the ability to end your career on your own terms is good. Everybody takes a different path. Some guys need to tear the uniform off, some guys don’t want to quit, some guys are forced to quit -- that’s the way the game is and there’s nothing wrong with any of it.”

“I laugh when I see people saying, ‘Well, he stayed too long,’" Francona added. "That’s the player’s business. They have the right to play the game as long as they want, or for as short as they want. More power to him.”

NEW YORK – Red Sox first baseman Mike Lowell is not in the lineup for the second consecutive game. He was struck in the temple by a ground ball Friday and removed from the game a half-inning later.

Lowell was examined by doctors and the results showed he did not suffer a concussion. Red Sox manager Terry Francona spoke with head trainer Mike Reinold this afternoon, and the two decided it would be best to give Lowell another day off.

Francona said Lowell is available off the bench if needed.

“As long as there’s nothing that creeps up -- a headache or any problems -- he would certainly be available,” Francona said.

“As long as he’s OK, we’re facing some lefties in Chicago, he’ll play. He just got a pretty good jar to the temple. Although it hurt and it looked scary, it doesn't seem like there are any ill effects. Now, if he came to me and said he was having a tough time focusing or felt like he was a half-second late, we would stay away from him."

NEW YORK -- Red Sox first baseman Mike Lowell is feeling fortunate today after he was struck in the temple Friday night by a ground ball off the bat of the Yankees’ Curtis Granderson in the bottom of the fifth inning of a 10-8 win at Yankee Stadium.

“I looked at the replay and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad hop like that. I’m just thankful I turned my head," Lowell said. "I’m very lucky. My boyish good looks would have taken a big hit there.”

Fortunately he did not suffer a concussion and was tested accordingly this morning. The team’s medical staff compared his current reaction time to different tests and compared the results with those from spring training.

“I actually think I got smarter,” he said with a smile.

Lowell, who said he’s never had a concussion, was able to hit in the cage and was planning on taking BP on the field this afternoon before the Red Sox take on the Yankees the second of their three-game series.

“I never felt like I lost focus or anything,” Lowell admitted. “My eye started twitching a little.”

Granderson was apologetic after the incident and stood over Lowell when he was laying on the ground.

“I didn’t expect him to do anything,” Lowell said of Granderson. “I think he went above and beyond under the circumstances.”

NEW YORK -- If the Boston Red Sox want to play the role of spoiler in the American League East, they started off the weekend in the Bronx on the right track.

While the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Seattle Mariners, the Red Sox banged out 14 hits en route to a 10-8 victory over the New York Yankees. The Rays now have sole possession of first place in the division and Boston remains seven back.

NOT THE BEST FOR BECKETT: Red Sox starter Josh Beckett was hoping his last couple of starts of the 2010 season would be good ones. Even though he improved to 6-5, the right-hander was good early but struggled in the late innings Friday. He worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed five runs on seven hits, including four home runs.

It’s the fourth time in his career he’s allowed four homers in a game, the first since Aug. 23, 2009 against the Yankees. The Sox got the win in the first of a three-game set here, but Beckett wasn’t pleased with his performance and couldn’t describe what happened.

“I don’t know. I don’t have any words that aren’t four letters,” Beckett said. “We needed a win. I’d rather pitch like that and win than pitch like that and lose. It was good for the team to win the game.”

LOWRIE HITS THE MARK: Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie set a career-high in hits, going 4-for-4. He hit a three-run homer in the second inning and added three more singles. He has hit safely in seven of his past eight games, batting .400 with 9 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers and 7 RBIs during this stretch.

“He swung the bat great tonight,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “He swung at strikes, and this ballpark plays small to right field. I’m not taking anything away from Jed, it was a good swing, but if he hit that ball at Fenway, it’s an out. He had really good at-bats all night.”

CLOSE CALL FOR LOWELL: The Red Sox witnessed a scary moment in the bottom of the fifth inning when Mike Lowell was struck in the temple by a hard ground ball off the bat of the Yankees’ Curtis Granderson. With two outs in the inning, Granderson hit the ball down the first-base line when Lowell went to glove it for any easy play. But the ball took a bad hop and hit Lowell in the head.

He went down and was quickly attended to by team trainer Mike Reinold and Francona. Lowell finished the inning, but was later removed for precautionary reasons.

“He’s OK. He’s just a little bit sore,” Francona said. “The ball hit him in the temple. His eye was twitching, but he didn’t show any signs of a concussion. I’m sure his jaw will probably be a bit sore tomorrow.”

Lowell was seen walking out of the clubhouse with no visible ill effects.

THE SEASON’S OVER FOR SALTY: Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia will miss the remainder of the season with ligament damage in his left thumb. Hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham will examine Saltalamacchia in Cleveland early next week. He said he doesn’t know yet if he’ll need surgery.

“It’ll be decided when we get there and what [the doctor] thinks,” Saltalamacchia said. “Nobody wants to make a decision right now until we figure everything out. There is definitely some damage in there, but nothing threatening. It’s just one of those things where we just got to see how far it is.”

“I did it originally in Oklahoma City," Saltalamacchia added, "but like anyone else in here, you would have kept on playing. Actually, playing through it kind of got some scar tissue that helped it heal a little bit. It’s been giving me some fits, but I wanted to finish the season and finish it strong. I felt like the smart decision was to shut it down and see where we’re at.”

If he does need a procedure, it’ll be done as soon as possible to have him ready for spring training.

“Regardless of which way it goes, that’s the reason they’re shutting me down, because this is the best way to have a normal offseason, he said. “I’ll work with [Gary] Tuck and be ready for spring training.”

CSNNE.com first reported the story.

BOSTON -- The plan this season was to bat Marco Scutaro at the bottom of the Red Sox order.

But with Jacoby Ellsbury out of action most of the season, Scutaro was thrust into the leadoff role. And despite battling injuries all year, notably a bad right (throwing) shoulder, Scutaro has been very valuable at the top of the order.

In Monday night's 6-3 win over the Mariners, he had one of his most productive games. Scutaro, who signed a two-year contract as a free agent last offseason, came through with a two-out, two-run single through the right side in the fifth to erase a 1-0 deficit and sparking the Sox to a three-run flurry. In the seventh, Scutaro drilled a tie-breaking single to center over the drawn-in Seattle infield, putting Boston on top 5-3.

The four RBIs matched Scutaro's career high, something he has done four times, including once this season, on July 28 in Anaheim.

His first two-run single came with the bases filled, improving his recent bases-loaded success surge to 5-for-5 with a sacrifice fly and 12 RBIs. For his career Scutaro is batting .321 (25-for-78) with the sacks filled with two homers and 66 RBIs.

“You just want to make sure you get a good pitch, try to hit the ball in the air. It doesn’t always happen, but you try,” Scutaro said with a shrug when pressed about the reason for his good fortunes with the bases loaded.

His overall contributions this season have not gone unnoticed.

“He has given us stability all year,” said manager Terry Francona. “He’s played through a lot. We know that. I’ve appreciated him from the beginning. We were real excited when we got him and we still are. He pretty much gives you the same player every game and I mean that in a good way.”

“With Ells going down, he has really stepped up, giving us a good presence at leadoff,” winning pitcher John Lackey said of Scutaro. “He was always a tough out. He never gives away an at-bat.”

Scutaro says his game plan has never changed.

“Since Day 1, I just try to get on base and score runs, no matter where I hit,” said Scutaro, who is batting a solid .276 with seven homers and 44 RBIs.

Okajima struggles

Hideki Okajima's rehab outing didn't go well. He recorded only one out and was tagged for four runs on four hits, including a two-run homer for Triple-A Pawtucket in Buffalo. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated in Boston on Tuesday ... The Red Sox had 10 hits -- all singles. It was Boston’s first game with at least 10 hits and none for extra bases since a 12-inning, 6-3 victory in Seattle on July 23, 2008. The Sox had 11 hits in that game ... Lackey was the first Red Sox pitcher to notch at least 10 strikeouts since Jon Lester, who fanned 13 Mariners in Seattle on July 24 ... Rookie Ryan Kalish failed to come through with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, popping the first pitch weakly to shortstop. But he also dropped down an important sacrifice bunt in the seventh, setting up a go-ahead three-run rally, and he recorded an assist from center field, gunning down Casey Kotchman trying to stretch a hit into a double in the second inning ... Mike Lowell's single in the eighth inning was his 1,600th career hit.

TORONTO -- Quick hits on Red Sox 7, Jays 5:

* The race: Sox still trail Rays by 4½ in wild card as Tampa beat the Tigers 8-0. But they moved within 5 of the Yankees in the AL East as New York lost 4-3 in 10 innings at Texas on a walk-off single by David Murphy off Mariano Rivera. Games left: 48

* The difference-maker: Mike Lowell, with a home run that broke 5-5 tie in the eighth. In seven games (six starts) since his return, Lowell is batting .240 (6-for-25) with two HRs and six RBIs.

* Keep the roof open: Seven of Boston’s 11 hits went for extra bases. J.D. Drew also homered, and David Ortiz and Jed Lowrie each had two doubles.

* Lineup change?: Look for Jacoby Ellsbury, who had two singles, to be restored to top of the order. Marco Scutaro was hitless in five trips and is 2 for his last 24.

* Positive development: With Daniel Bard unavailable, Manny Delcarmen pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and now has nine scoreless outings out of 10 since coming off the DL.

* Rest paid off: Lowrie, who did not play in the last three games of the Yankees series, hit three balls hard, the two doubles and one shot that was caught on the track. But it wasn’t all good for Lowrie. He also dropped a feed at second and was late to the bag on another.

* Stat of the night: Jonathan Papelbon is now 24-for-24 in save opportunities in his career against the Blue Jays. He has allowed four earned runs in 44 innings, an 0.82 ERA.

* Quoteboard: “Tonight was like our whole season. It wasn’t perfect, but we kept playing.’’
--Manager Terry Francona

NEW YORK -- Red Sox first baseman Mike Lowell had just finished putting on his batting practice uniform. He must have felt the warm breath on the back of his neck because he quickly turned his chair around to face the middle of the visitor’s clubhouse at Yankee Stadium and sat down.

In front of him stood 15-20 reporters, waiting to hear the veteran’s take on his season and what lies ahead.

It’s no secret by now that he’s been utterly frustrated, disappointed and hurt by his lack of playing time this season. Now, with Kevin Youkilis on the disabled list for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery Friday to repair a torn adductor muscle, Lowell finds himself as an everyday player once again.

How long will that last?

The Sox placed him on waivers Wednesday and Lowell has 48 hours to clear. If he is claimed, the Sox can pull him back, but if he clears the club can decide to trade him. That scenario is unlikely at this point given Youkilis’ situation.

Lowell figures to have his opportunity to play every day with Youkilis on the DL, and now comes word that the Red Sox worked out Carlos Delgado on Friday afternoon. Whether or not the Red Sox are seriously considering another option, Lowell isn’t concerned with it at the moment.

“That bridge I definitely don’t think should be crossed at this point,” Lowell said. “It’s a non-issue to me right now. There’s chatter and the team can look at all options they want, and you guys can write all the possibilities, but if there were something concrete that would be the proper time [I would discuss it]. I don’t want to speculate on something that’s not out there or will happen.”

Prior to the July 31 trade deadline, Lowell was on the DL with a strain in his surgically repaired hip. When he was deemed healthy enough to play, Lowell was sent on a minor league rehab assignment and tore it up at Triple-A Pawtucket.

There had been plenty of chatter the Sox were working on a deal with several teams, including the Yankees and the Blue Jays.

Lowell said he was aware the Red Sox and Yankees were having discussions, but there was no need to pursue a deal because New York is one of the four teams he can not be contractually dealt to.

“There was no point in pursuing it if I was going to reject it,” Lowell said. “It was presented as a chance, but I don’t know how far it had gotten. I don’t think I would have been made aware of it if there was no chance.”

“I’ve been in a lot of rumors and I’ve been traded twice in my life, so two trades in 12 years, if I’m traded I’ll go wherever they send me,” Lowell said.

Coincidentally, Lowell was originally drafted by the Yankees in the 20th round in 1995 before he was traded to the Florida Marlins in 1999. He said he has no ill will toward the Yankees, but there’s no way the Red Sox would want him to play for their rival. He thought about it during his brief stint on the DL, but he did not want his emotions to get the best of him.

“By no means do I have that New England hatred towards the Yankees,” he said. “I want to beat them on the baseball field. My emotions were all over the place at that time. It’s easy to tune it out, but that’s a little closer to home. So I just took the wait-and-see, but that’s just part of the emotional ups and downs of the whole year.”

Lowell admitted he did think about the possibility of playing his last game for the Red Sox during his time on the DL.

“I’m not disappointed it wasn’t,” he said. “It worked out good.”

He’s played three games in the last four days and is expected to be in the lineup for most of this four-game set against the Yankees. Given his recent trip to the DL, Lowell said he’s not nervous about suddenly playing every day.

"Nervous? Absolutely not,” he said. “I gauge how I feel the next morning, but I still maintain I ran out for the first 50 games last year, so four out of five I’m not worried about.”

As much as he wanted to play all season, being back in the lineup is bittersweet for Lowell.

“Not at Kevin Youkilis’ expense, not our cleanup hitter. Absolutely not,” Lowell said. “My goal was not to see whether I could get at-bats because someone got hurt. My goal was to have an opportunity to play because I was healthier than I was in 2009. I don’t think anything has changed since the first day I spoke during spring training.”

“Am I happy that I’m playing? Yeah, I enjoying playing baseball, but with Kevin Youkilis not on our team we’re not better. Do I think I can plug the hole? I’m going to try my best. This wasn’t the process I was hoping for. Not at all.”

As far as playing first base on a regular basis for the first time in his career, Lowell admits it still feels new to him. He’s comfortable enough, but he’s still learning.

“It’s a minor work in progress, but I’m looking to get better and not worse,” he said.

He’s also talked about the possibility of retirement once his contract expires at the end of this season. Now that he’s working on being a little more versatile by playing the other side of the diamond, he’s not focused on the future.

“I’m not worried about whether that’s going to help me be more marketable to another team. That really hasn’t entered my mind,” Lowell said. “We’ll leave next year for next year.”

Physically, he says, he’s feeling a lot better than he did a season ago when “97.5 percent of the time I felt horrible.”

“I would say the most telling test is when I jog I don’t feel like someone is shoving a knife in my [butt]. That really feels good when it doesn’t happen. Not literally in the [butt], but on the right buttocks. That’s how it felt.”

At least his sense of humor is back.

Here's the Boston lineup:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Marco Scutaro, SS
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Victor Martinez, 1B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Adrian Beltre, 3B
7. Mike Lowell, 1B
8. Ryan Kalish, LF
9 Bill Hall, 2B
RHP -- Daisuke Matsuzaka

Kevin Youkilis, who was placed on the disabled list Tuesday because of a muscle tear in his right thumb, will get a second opinion from a hand specialist in Cleveland on Thursday.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said that Youkilis has an 8:30 flight Thursday morning and that the Sox were hoping he would be returning to Boston before Thursday night’s game against the Indians.

While surgery may have to be an option, Youkilis, wearing a protective plastic brace on the right thumb, stood at his customary first-base position and handled throws during batting practice on Wednesday.

"It really stinks," Youkilis said after the Red Sox beat the Indians 3-1 on Tuesday. "[This injury] is very rare. Zero athletes have had it, at least as far as the doctors have said. It was a freak accident. I don't know how it happened or the reason behind it. It just happened.

"If I have to have some procedure, though, it's pretty easy to do. It won't affect me down the road. It's misfortune but I've been healthy for a very long time. I wish I could help the team out, but luckily this isn't career-ending. I'll still be able to play, just not right now."

Meanwhile, Mike Lowell, who homered on the first pitch he saw Tuesday night in his first at-bat after being activated from the DL, was not in Wednesday night’s starting lineup.

Part of that had to do with the matchup, with Cleveland starter and former Red Sox hurler Justin Masterson on the mound. Masterson has been tougher on right-handed hitters than left-handers.

It’s also a case of Francona wanting to make sure he “doesn’t run Mikey into the ground.”

"I do want to monitor Mikey's playing time," Francona said. "If we keep him fresh, he's a really good hitter. ... I don't think you take a guy who hasn't played in three week and run him out there every day for a week. That's not in anyone's best interest."

Francona will be monitoring the playing time not only of Lowell but also Jed Lowrie and Jacoby Ellsbury, who recently have been taken off the DL.

Marco Scutaro, who has batted in the leadoff spot for the majority of the season while Ellsbury was out, slid down to the No. 2 spot in Wednesday night’s batting order.

“He has been tremendously consistent,” said Francona. “He has played through some bumps and bruises and more. And he has played a good brand of baseball. We felt we could put him in the leadoff spot every day and not worry about it. That’s a big thing.”

BOSTON -- A resolution in Mike Lowell’s current impasse with the Red Sox may be at hand.

“Tomorrow should be a good day,’’ Lowell said as he was exiting the Red Sox clubhouse following Monday night’s 6-5 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

Lowell offered no further details, and manager Terry Francona also gave no indication what the team’s intentions were for Lowell, who has not played since hitting four home runs in the span of two games last Tuesday and Wednesday while playing for Triple-A Pawtucket.

The Red Sox, who had been on the West Coast, did not elect to activate Lowell upon returning home last Friday night, instead expending their efforts on trying to trade him before Saturday’s 4 p.m. deadline. They failed to do so, but were expected to renew those efforts on Monday, the earliest that teams could ask trade waivers on players. A player placed on waivers Monday would not clear until Wednesday at the earliest, but it’s possible a team could have placed a claim on Lowell with the understanding that it could work out a trade with the Red Sox.

It’s also possible the Red Sox, who have been consistent in their refusal to grant Lowell his release, are relenting and plan to do so. The third possibility is that the Red Sox plan to activate Lowell, which is not out of the question since first baseman Kevin Youkilis jammed his right thumb and his availability could be in jeopardy.

In any event, Lowell is suggesting that the guesswork should end Tuesday.

BOSTON -- The latest news on Red Sox veteran third baseman Mike Lowell is that there is no news.

He remains inactive, according to Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

“I’ll kind of give you what I have,” Francona said Sunday morning. “After [Saturday’s] game we were talking with Theo, and we were going to activate him. Then there were some conversations that are probably up the food chain for me a little bit that needs to continue to happen. Mikey is not active today. Those conversations will continue to happen. It’s a little up the food chain for me. That’s what I have.”

It appeared the Red Sox and Lowell had figured out the veteran’s future, but what exactly that entails remains to be seen.

General manager Theo Epstein, Francona and Lowell met behind closed doors following the Sox’s 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at Fenway Park. Lowell later walked over to his locker, grabbed his iPad and was heading toward the exit when reporters stopped him.

“I’ve got nothing to say, so it’s not necessary,” Lowell said.

With that he left.

Following the 4 p.m. trade deadline on Saturday, Epstein was asked about Lowell’s situation.

“We’re going to sit down with Mike after the game,” the GM said Saturday. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him because of the timing and the deadline. I won’t to talk to you guys about it before I talk to him about it. We’ll be around after the game and I’m sure tomorrow he’ll talk about it.”

BOSTON -- It appears the Red Sox and Mike Lowell have figured out the veteran’s future, but what exactly that entails remains to be seen.

General manager Theo Epstein, manager Terry Francona and Lowell met behind closed doors following the Sox’s 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at Fenway Park. Lowell later walked over to his locker, grabbed his iPad and was heading toward the exit when reporters stopped him.

“I’ve got nothing to say, so it’s not necessary,” Lowell said.

With that he left.

Following the 4 p.m. trade deadline, Epstein was asked about Lowell’s situation.

“We’re going to sit down with Mike after the game,” the GM said. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him because of the timing and the deadline. I won’t to talk to you guys about it before I talk to him about it. We’ll be around after the game and I’m sure tomorrow he’ll talk about it.”

What “it” is remains to be seen.

BOSTON -- The Red Sox have not activated Mike Lowell from the disabled list, and general manager Theo Epstein has asked the veteran third baseman to be patient for a couple of more days.

According to Red Sox manager Terry Francona, Epstein sat down with Lowell and his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, to figure out what’s best for the team and the player.

“Theo told him to hang on a day or so,” according Francona. “There’s possible movement and the deadline is tomorrow. It just seems to make sense to get through another day, or two days, and then do what we need to do.”

Lowell recently completed a successful and productive minor-league rehab assignment with the PawSox and was at his stall in the Red Sox clubhouse this afternoon and will work out with the club.

The trade deadline is Saturday at 4 p.m. and Lowell has made it no secret his desire to be an everyday player, and if that means parting ways with the Red Sox, the former World Series MVP (2007) is willing to do so.

"If there's something out there with another team where they might be interested, then I'm willing to explore those options," he said. "There's nothing left for me to do. I'm not stressed over it."

Lowell has been unhappy all season with the lack of playing time, and the season as a whole.

"It's been terrible," he said. "I haven't had a lot of playing time here. When you have stretches where you're going 1-for-20, you start hearing whispers in your ear saying you might not be able to play at that level anymore. I never thought I'd be in that situation."

When asked about the possibility of being traded, Lowell said that anything is possible. Plus, he realizes there's no way he could be an everyday player the remainder of the season.

"There's nowhere for me to play," he said. "How am I gonna play any positions other than what I play? I don't think it's realistic to think I'll be playing over the other guys on this team at this point. It would be selfish."

Daniel Pesquera contributed to this report.

ANAHEIM -- Despite three home runs by Mike Lowell Tuesday night while on rehab assignment for Pawtucket, the trade market for him showed no increase in activity Wednesday, according to a major league source.

"All is quiet,'' the source said.

Lowell was scheduled to play again Wednesday night for the PawSox in Toledo. Beyond that? The supposition is that barring a trade, Lowell will be activated before the Sox play the Tigers in Fenway Park on Friday night, but manager Terry Francona made no such commitment in his pregame remarks Wednesday. Francona said that he expects he and GM Theo Epstein will speak Thursday and “figure it out.’’

Lowell became the first Pawtucket player to homer three times in a game since Jonathan Van Every (June 29, 2008 vs. Rochester).

In four games on this rehab assignment with the PawSox, Lowell has a four-hit game and a three-homer game, and overall is batting .444 (8 for 18), with 3 doubles and 7 RBIs.

David Ortiz, asked if he’d heard what Lowell had done the night before, said, “Mikey Lowell is bombing some [expletives] down there, right? That’s what he’d do here, too. Bomb [expletives]. We all know that. That’s what we do for a living -- bomb [expletives].’’