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Baseball Today: Friday, April 11 »

Lowrie makes it to the majors

By Joe McDonald and Paul Kenyon
Journal Sports Writers

BOSTON -- Jed Lowrie was working out at McCoy Stadium yesterday afternoon after the PawSox defeated the IronPigs when Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson called him into his office.

The skipper told the rookie shortstop that Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell’s injury to his left thumb was still questionable, so Sox management wanted Lowrie to go to Fenway just in case. So, he started his drive to Boston and 10 minutes before he arrived GM Theo Epstein called and told him he would be activated.

“On the drive up there were still a lot of questions,” Lowrie admitted. “RJ told me they wanted me to be up here just in case about 10 minutes before I got here Theo called me and told me they were going to activate me, so there were some mixed emotions driving up here because there was some uncertainty whether I was going to get the opportunity or not.”

Lowrie got to Boston just in time to put on his uniform (No. 12) and make it to the dugout for game time.

“I got my first taste today and ust watching from the dugout, it’s been a dream of mine since I’ve been playing baseball," he said. "I didn’t get a chance to be in there today, but it was still awesome just to be up here. Just the opportunity to help this team would be pretty awesome.”

Lowrie is versatile and can play second, short and third.

He was given a ton of playing time during spring training due to Julio Lugo’s back injury. Lowrie proved during camp that he can be an everyday shortstop at the big-league level, and with a couple of different options in Pawtucket – veterans Joe Thurston and Keith Ginter – Red Sox management decided to go with the rookie.

What’s interesting about Lowrie’s major-league debut is the fact that Boston’s top four selections in the 2005 draft have all reached the big leagues, including outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (23rd overall), pitcher Craig Hansen (26th overall) and pitcher Clay Buchholz (42nd overall).

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:58 PM | Permalink