--3B Mike Lowell was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left thumb, and he indicated that it was roughly a two- to four-week timetable for recovery. Lowell sprained the same thumb last season, and he also spent a stint on the disabled list in 2003 with the Florida Marlins when he broke the same digit. In his absence, 1B/3B Kevin Youkilis likely will get the bulk of the playing at third base and 1B Sean Casey will be thrust into a starting role.
--DH David Ortiz is hitless in his last 10 at-bats and is mired in a 1-for-22 slump that has dropped his average to .083. The batting average is his lowest mark after his first 10 games of the season since he went 0-for-20 in 20 September at-bats for the Twins in 1999. Red Sox manager Terry Francona was encouraged that his DH was patient enough to take a couple of walks in the closing innings of Thursday night's win, but there's no denying that Ortiz is mired in an epic slump. --RHP Jonathan Papelbon has enjoyed a ridiculous amount of success in the month of April during his still-blossoming career. The Sox closer has worked 27 1/3 scoreless innings in 25 career appearances during the opening month, and he has allowed only 11 hits with 37 strikeouts during that span. He has also converted all 20 save opportunities.
--SS Jed Lowrie was called up from Class AAA Pawtucket to take injured 3B Mike Lowell's place on the Red Sox's 25-man roster. The Sox had to purchase the contract of Lowrie to bring him up to the major leagues, and the 24-year-old arrived at the ballpark roughly 20 minutes before Thursday night's game started. Thursday's call-up represented Lowrie's first taste of the big leagues after he hit .298 with 68 extra base hits between Class AA and Class AAA last season.
--RHP Bryan Corey is expected to be designated for assignment by the Red Sox to make room for RHP Mike Timlin as he comes off the disabled list. The 34-year-old journeyman had pitched in six ballgames out of the Sox bullpen this season but has struggled to get right-handed batters out. Corey has amassed a 14.54 ERA in 4 1/3 innings this season.
BY THE NUMBERS: 8 -- Total number of lengthy pregame introductions the Red Sox roster has lined up for during their exotic opening month to the season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's not my call, but if anyone watched that game tonight you'd say, 'Yeah, he's ready.' He threw some fastballs tonight that were very lively and some sliders that were very sharp. He's a big-league pitcher and he showed tonight he wants to get back there. It's just a matter of time." -- Rich Sauveur, Pawtucket (R.I.) pitching coach, speaking to the Providence Journal about RHP Bartolo Colon after Colon's Pawtucket debut Thursday night.
