Mike Lowell Has Surgery On His Famous Thumb

Has there ever been a body part on a player more talked about this offseason than Mike Lowell’s thumb?

Lowell was supposed to be part of the $9 million trade that would have sent him to the Texas Rangers and catcher Max Ramirez to the Boston Red Sox. The trade was really a salary dump by the Red Sox in order to free up money to pursue Adrian Beltre or other free agents.

As we all know, the Rangers called off the trade because they found a ligament tear in Lowell’s thumb.

Yesterday, Lowell had surgery on that thumb.

According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe , Dr. Donald Sheridan performed surgery on Lowell’s thumb and found a 95 percent tear in the radical collateral ligament in that thumb. Lowell will need six-to-eight weeks of recovery time.

Here is what is confusing to me.

Lowell had a 95 percent tear in his thumb, which is obviously pretty significant. The season for the Red Sox ended almost three months ago. Why didn’t Lowell have this surgery as soon as the season ended?

Also, did the Red Sox not think the Rangers’ medical staff wouldn’t notice a 95 percent tear in Lowell’s thumb? I would think even a first-year medical school student would be able to diagnose that.

Now that Lowell has had the surgery, he will remain with the Red Sox when the 2010 season starts. Lowell might be ready by Opening Day, but he now has zero trade value.

When the season starts, my best guess is Lowell will play third against lefties and Casey Kotchman plays first base against righties. Kevin Youkilis will be in the lineup everyday and play third against righties and first against lefties.

Of course, nothing is ever set in stone with the Red Sox as they always look to improve their roster.

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