BOSTON -- The Red Sox simply cannot avoid the injury bug, even if they're the little nagging variety.
On the heels of receiving the great news they heard when it was revealed that shortstop Alex Gonzalez does not have a hairline fracture in his right (throwing) hand, the club had to scratch Mike Lowell from the starting lineup just moments before first pitch because of a sore thumb. It's not expected to be anything serious, but it just adds to what is an already lengthy list of injuries the club has endured recently.
It was earlier this week that Lowell received a cocktail injection of Synvisc and cortisone to alleviate pain he's had in his surgically-repaired right hip. Synvisc is a sort of lubricant that helps Lowell with flexibility in his ailing hip. He sat out three games while the injection took effect. Lowell also survived a scare when he fouled a ball hard off his left ankle on Thursday night. X-rays revealed no serious damage, but the ankle remains tender.
Rocco Baldelli, who was taken out of Friday night's game because of a hip flexor injury, arrived at the park on Saturday and manager Terry Francona said the injury is more tender than they would have liked to have seen. The injury could affect whether Baldelli is on the post-season roster.
Josh Beckett, who started Saturday night's game, missed his last start on Monday after he awoke with pain in his upper back. He said the pain was completely gone within two days of receiving light doses of cortisone in the affected area last Monday.
Jon Lester returned to form on Thursday night after he took a rocket of a line drive off his right knee on Sept. 25 at Yankee Stadium. The injury was so severe that Lester immediately left that night's game.
Outfielder J.D. Drew has not played since Tuesday because of an ailing left shoulder. He received a cortisone injection himself on Wednesday and is expected back in the lineup for Sunday's regular season finale.
Kevin Youkilis missed three games because of back spasms in mid-September.
Jason Bay missed a pair of games a few weeks ago because of severe flu-like symptoms.
"It's not just the last few weeks,'' Francona said. "I would say it's been about four months. But these are things we can deal with. We're trying to position ourselves for next week, not just these last two games.
QUICK HITS: Jason Bay batted in the No. 2 spot in a starting lineup for the first time in his career. "I told (Francona) that it's about time someone respected my on-base percentage,'' Bay joked. The only other time in Bay's career he had batted second in a lineup was as a pinch-hitter on May 19, 2004 when he was with Pittsburgh. ... The players who have been with the club all season held a private meeting to divvy out playoff money. Victor Martinez, Alex Gonzalez and Casey Kotchman as well as younger players who arrived as September call-ups were not allowed to vote. Players such as Martinez, Gonzalez and Kotchman, all of whom arrived in late season trades, receive partial shares. ... The Red Sox have announced that they will depart for Anaheim on Monday afternoon. They should arrive in Southern California sometime around 5:30 p.m., Pacific time.