--3B Mike Lowell underwent hip surgery on Oct. 20, and the procedure was labeled a success by the Red Sox. Lowell had a torn tendon in his right hip repaired and also had a bone spur removed in the same procedure, an injury that had hobbled the third baseman late in the season and knocked him out of the playoffs. Lowell was 0-for-8 in a pair of playoff games before he was removed from the AL Division Series roster. He's planning on being ready to play in time for spring training.
--SS Jed Lowrie was suffering from a sprain and a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist over the second half of the season. The injuries were revealed when the infielder went in for a season-ending MRI, but they won't require any procedure beyond an offseason of rest. The injury could explain why the switch-hitting Lowrie struggled with his left-handed swing during his stint with the Red Sox, as he hit for a .222 average and a .334 slugging percentage against right-handed pitching. Lowrie originally suffered the wrist injury in May while playing for Class AAA Pawtucket, but it worsened as the grind of the regular season wore down the promising rookie. --The Red Sox announced that coaches DeMarlo Hale (third base/outfield), Dave Magadan (hitting coach), John Farrell (pitching coach), Gary Tuck (bullpen coach) and Brad Mills (bench coach) will be retained for the 2009 season, but first base/infielders coach Luis Alicea will not return next season. Alicea had played second base for the Sox during his playing days, and he had been on manager Terry Francona's staff for the past two seasons.
--RHP Clay Buchholz has fared well in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions as he attempts to rehabilitate his career after a difficult rookie season bouncing between the big leagues and the minors. The 24-year-old was 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA through three starts in the AFL, and he had struck out nine batters in 12 1/3 innings. The young righty still seems to work on gaining confidence and command of his fastball.
"I think he's on his road to doing that right now in the Fall League. Sometimes little baby steps; it's like the stock market. You want to get everything you lost back the day you lost it, and it doesn't work that way," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "But he's out there doing what he's supposed to. Just get some confidence, get the arm speed and throw his pitches."
--C Jason Varitek nearly broke into tears following Game 7 when he was asked about his potential future with the Red Sox as he enters free agency, and it will be interesting to see how things play out with the team captain. The Sox are expected to offer the backstop a two-year deal with an average annual value in the neighborhood of his current rate ($10 million per year), but it remains to be seen if agent Scott Boras takes Varitek, who hit .220 in 2008, to the free agent market. The agent and the catcher could find a market for a team in need of leadership and a stabilizing force for its pitching staff.
"He's an important part of the organization. There's no doubt about that," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. "Obviously, he's coming off a year that wasn't his best, but he's important nonetheless. He's a free agent, and we'll be talking to him. We have an obligation to explore all of our options. We have to do that. We do that with every position."
BY THE NUMBERS: .094 -- Batting average against RHP Jonathan Papelbon during his 10 1/3 innings of scoreless work in the 2008 playoffs.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "He had a phenomenal year, and he was asked to do some things that could derail some of that in a lot of instances with a lot of players. But he never let it get in the way, he never complained. He just really tried to do his best under all circumstances. I think he's a lot stronger mentally than people give him credit for." -- Manager Terry Francona, talking about 1B/3B Kevin Youkilis.
