Mike Lowell is hoping to be moved before the July 31 trade deadline. (AP)

Mike Lowell, back from a rehab stint with Triple-A Pawtucket in which he hit .500 with four homers, including a three-homer game, has no idea what the next 24 hours will bring. The 2007 World Series MVP said that he has yet to talk to Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein since arriving at Fenway Park, and so he does not know the likelihood of whether he will be traded between now and the trade deadline on Saturday.

What he does know is that he can still produce. Lowell — who is hitting .213 with a .308 OBP, .350 slugging mark and .658 OPS in 31 big league games this year — was already convinced of that fact, even while he was riding the bench, something that made the season to date “terrible” for him to endure. But with his performance during his Triple-A rehab assignment, the 36-year-old feels like he demonstrated in emphatic fashion his ability to contribute somewhere.

“I just wanted to go to Pawtucket and feel good and put myself in a position where I … gave myself a little exclamation point of what I was capable of doing,” Lowell said. “I think I did everything I could have done in Pawtucket. If there’s something out there, whether it’s our team or another team, that they wanted to see more of, there’s not any more left. What do they want me to do? Hit four home runs? I think that’s a little unfair. So I leave it at that. There’s nothing left for me to do.”

In some ways, it was a double-edged sword for the corner infield to perform so well on his rehab assignment. For Lowell, it was a pleasure to once again have consistent at-bats, and yet there was a sense of disappointment that he had not had the opportunity to produce for a big league club this year.

“It just answered the questions of what I’ve been saying all along. If I get consistent at-bats, I feel like I can produce,” said Lowell. “I definitely got really hot there. I can’t produce at that rate, but I know I can still swing the bat. I think if anything that might add to the frustration. If I had gone 1-for-20, there might have been someone whispering in my ear, telling me, ‘Maybe you’re not capable of doing it.’ But I never thought of it being in that situation. It still makes you want to play.”

Where Lowell will play remains an open question. The Sox are holding off on activating him until at least tomorrow, rather than make a roster move (that would result in another player being moved elsewhere) only to have him get dealt less than 24 hours later.

Even so, while the Sox are exploring the market for his services, the potential suitors have dwindled in recent days, in the aftermath of deals made by the Rangers to acquire Jorge Cantu and the Tigers to pick up Jhonny Peralta. Lowell admitted that he has no idea what will happen between now and the trade deadline, and that he isn’t stressing about that fact.

Nonetheless, one thing remains clear. Lowell wants to play, and given that fact, he views his best-case scenario as being a playing opportunity for a team other than the Red Sox, who feature three All-Star-caliber players at the three positions that Lowell might play: Adrian Beltre at third, Kevin Youkilis at first and David Ortiz as a designated hitter.

“Anything is a possibility. We’ll wait and see. I don’t have much else to say or know where to go,” Lowell said of trade possibilities. “[The best-case scenario] at this point? I think I’d be speculating and it would be pretty mean-spirited if it had anything to do with the Red Sox, because how am I going to play any of the positions that I play with David and Kevin and Adrian doing a good job? I don’t think anything I can say Red Sox-related would seem unselfish.”

3 Comments for “Lowell: ‘There’s nothing left for me to do’”

1. koolkat Says:
   July 30th, 2010 at 5:21 pm

   I for one am sick of hearing Lowell’s ‘poor-me’ comments.

   Case in point:

   “If there’s something out there, whether it’s our team or another team, that they wanted to see more of, there’s not any more left. What do they want me to do? Hit four home runs? I think that’s a little unfair.”

   By and large, the issue has NOT been his hitting. It’s been his limited range of motion in the field and his inability to run the bases. His question is thus a moot point.

   He seems to want the Red Sox to make all the concessions. He’s angry that they haven’t moved him and haven’t played him. Well, with his salary and his injury, he’s neither easy to move nor to play.

   If Lowell really wanted something to happen, why not put his salary on the table – i.e. release him WITHOUT pay for the remainder of the season. Then he can negotiate going wherever he wants to go.

   If he doesn’t want to give it back, then he should just shut up and accept his role. What were the Red Sox supposed to do – put him on the field when he couldn’t even WALK to first base? Give him away to another team for practically nothing and still have to eat his salary?

   Give it a rest, Mike. You’re not being reasonable.

2. camster202 Says:
   July 30th, 2010 at 8:04 pm

   I feel bad that he is making millions of dollars.

3. Lou gartz Says:
   July 30th, 2010 at 11:29 pm

   What are the Red Sux doing To Mike Lowell? He is my favorite player. He performs, so what the hell do expect from him. Sure he hurt and he dont complain. I say they trade Theo and Terry to the Yunkees for a couple broken bats and a couple balls.Then you will see some fun at Funway park. AMEN

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