Clay Buchholz will see a back specialist in Los Angeles on Monday. (AP)

CHICAGO — There have been times in past years when the Red Sox clubhouse was fraught with anxiety in the days leading up to the July 31 deadline. Younger players, in particular, have at times walked on pins and needles while awaiting word about whether they might be dealt.

In 2009, for instance, manager Terry Francona tried to have a casual conversation with Clay Buchholz on July 31. The color disappeared from the pitcher’s face when the manager summoned him, as Buchholz — who was being rumored in various deals that year for Felix Hernandez, Roy Halladay and Adrian Gonzalez — was convinced he was about to pack.

This year, a different dynamic is in play. By and large, the trade buzz surrounding the Red Sox has focused on the possibility of adding a piece (or pieces) in exchange for minor league prospects. As such, for the most part, the clubhouse has remained insulated from the typical chaos surrounding the buildup to July 31, with a prevailing calm existing on the big league roster.

“I’ve tried to think about it. I don’t feel anything out there,” Francona said of whether he needed to calm the clubhouse waters. “There have been years when you walk out there and guys see me coming and they’re like, ‘Oh, [expletive].’ I don’t feel like that at all. I haven’t said anything to anybody.”

OTHER NOTES:

– Buchholz, on the DL since mid-June with what was initially considered a minor back strain, will see noted back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles on Monday.

Buchholz has experienced some improvement during his time on the disabled list, but ongoing discomfort led to a bullpen session being scratched earlier this week. The Red Sox then want Buchholz to meet with a specialist to determine whether the pain is a symptom of a larger problem, which led to Watkins, who has performed back surgery on Randy Johnson and Doug Mientkiewicz, among other athletes.

The Sox are hopeful that the appointment with Watkins will clear Buchholz to resume throwing without risking a structural problem.

“Until then, we’re obviously on hold. Then we’ll hopefully have a lot more to go from there [after the Monday appointment],” said Sox manager Terry Francona.

Of course, that consultation will come after the July 31 deadline for non-waiver trades. However, Francona suggested that he could not offer an assessment about how the uncertainty surrounding Buchholz’ back might impact the Sox’ approach to the trade deadline.

“You’d have to ask [GM Theo Epstein],” said Francona. “That’s not my area. I don’t have any right or reason to comment. That’s Theo’s job.”

– Shortstop Jed Lowrie, who has resumed taking batting practice in his return from a shoulder injury, is closing in on a rehab assignment. Barring a setback, Francona said that Lowrie will play shortstop in Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday, serve as a DH on Tuesday then have a workout day with the Sox (who will be at Fenway) on Wednesday. He would then play short again next Thursday, either play short or DH on Friday and then be re-evaluated.

While the Sox have been exploring right-handed bench bats in advance of the trade deadline, the return of Lowrie could be significant in that regard, since the 27-year-old was hitting .386 with a 1.026 OPS in 73 plate appearances against southpaws.

“The way he swung the bat early in the season, for a month, he was our best hitter, our most productive hitter,” said Francona. “It’s easy to forget. When guys are gone, it’s like, out of sight, out of mind. He’s here. And he’s gonna be back and we want to get him back to swinging like he was because that’s a huge lift for us.”

– Reliever Bobby Jenks, on the disabled list since July 16 with lower back tightness, is experiencing improvement after receiving an injection on Thursday. Jenks (2-2, 6.32 ERA in 19 games) will stay in Boston this weekend during the Sox’ three-game roadtrip to Chicago.

“He felt like it hit the spot and he felt great,” said Francona. “Hopefully this is the beginning of something good because it’s been a tough year for him.”

– When Jon Lester takes the mound on Saturday, he is unlikely to face significant limitations on his workload in his second start since coming off the disabled list. The left-hander logged 89 pitches while allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings on Monday against the Royals.

“I don’t think [pitch count] is going to be an issue,” said Francona. “You’re not going to see him throw 125, but, with all the pitchers, we try to recognize that we’re going through a period of about three weeks where there’s no day off. We want to keep an eye on everybody. I don’t think that’s an issue.”