When Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell prepared for an injection meant to relieve the comfort in his right hip, he encountered an unexpected question.

“The doctor,” said Lowell, “asked me if I have a reaction to poultry.”

The inquiry was based upon the fact that Synvisc, the lubricating substance that was put into Lowell’s hip, is derived from the combs in the back of a chicken’s head. But while the source of the shot might have been slightly bemusing, Lowell pronounced that he feels “great…really good” following the draining of fluid and the injection of Synvisc in his right hip on Monday. Though the Sox opted to place him on the disabled list, Lowell said that the decision was one of precaution rather than necessity, a means of ensuring that he will be well rested for the second half.

“We took the junk out and put good stuff in. We had a good oil change,” said Lowell. “I’m really looking forward to a  good second half…I feel much better than I did in the last two months.”

While Lowell had felt growing discomfort in his hip while running, he said that in the days prior to his receiving the injection, he was starting to feel his hip affect him at the plate.

“When I felt it tight the last five days, I didn’t feel like I could put the weight on my back foot the same way when I was hitting,” said Lowell. “Anytime you start hitting that, you almost start changing things. In the long run, I want to get to the point where I’m playing the game and not thinking about anything.”

Lowell said that he, the team, and several doctors developed a game plan for his return. Lowell will focus on building the muscles around his hip, taking this weekend off from baseball activities before resuming them while continuing his rehab on Monday. He said that a rehab assignment may not be necessary, since he will be taking batting practice everyday starting Monday.

However, Lowell did acknowledge that he will likely have more days off in the second half than he did at the start of the season. Lowell played in 44 of the Sox’ first 45 games and 65 of the team’s first 67 contests.

“I’ve got to believe I’m not going to play 59 out of 60 after the second half. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still produce or play well,” said Lowell. “I don’t want to go through this year the way I did last year. I think I would be putting myself and the team in a position that would be not the best…

“I believe that’s going to be better for me long term,” Lowell added. “Dr. (Brian) Kelly (who performed the surgery on Lowell’s hip) was the one who told me sometimes the best off day is the one where you feel good, because you can really recharge. When you don’t feel good, you get a day off, it usually isn’t good enough.”

Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell reported that the shot of Synvisc administered to his surgically repaired right hip on Monday morning in Boston went well. The doctors discovered more fluid in the area than originally anticipated, which explained his recent discomfort.

“I guess the main thing was that they weren’t really expecting to find fluid in there, but they ended up finding a significant amount of fluid so I think that’s a good thing,” Lowell said. “They took the bad stuff out and put the good stuff in. I’m a little bruised from the injection itself but I do feel I have a lot more mobility. I think I’ll be able to tell more tomorrow when I get stretched out and stuff.

“At least for me mentally, it’s a comforting feeling, that there was fluid in there and they took it out. It explains why there was discomfort. It makes a lot more sense to me. You can bank on the fact that everything structurally is fine and your body is trying to protect itself when it’s in a vulnerable state. If there wasn’t fluid I would say, ‘What’s causing it?’ I’m happy they found it. But I think the next few days will be big.”

It is unlikely Lowell will join the team in Baltimore for the remainder of the Red Sox’ three-game series, instead staying behind to work with physical therapist Scott Waugh. The third baseman suggests that Thursday should be the deciding day as to whether he can re-enter the lineup Friday, or whether he might have to land on the 15-day disabled list. (Lowell, whose only action this weekend came when he entered Saturday’s game as a pinch-hitter, has played in just three of the Sox’ last eight games.)

“If I don’t have a big improvement in mobility and flexibility and all of that I have to believe their going to think of something DL-wise, but if I feel really good I might play Friday,” he said. “So Thursday is the day we chart what’s going on.

“I kind of felt like I had a little more space to move around with, but that’s just walking. I just have a little bit of an ache because of the needle that went in that area. I think after that wears off, probably by tomorrow morning, I’ll know, and I’ll know for sure once I stretch with Scotty.”