BALTIMORE - Mike Lowell felt well enough yesterday that he thought he could return to the lineup as soon as Friday. After being placed on the disabled list, however, Lowell won’t play until two weeks from then.

The Red Sox [team stats] made the decision more as a precautionary measure as much as anything else. Lowell, who underwent right hip surgery last October, had been bothered by stiffness in the area for the past two weeks.