By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. _ Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie will see a specialist on Wednesday in Baltimore for his ailing left wrist.

Lowrie, who turns 25 on Friday, was placed on the 15-day DL (retroactive to April 12) with a sprain. He played with a non-displaced fracture in the same wrist for the majority of the 2008 season.

He returned to Boston on Monday and was examined by three doctors on the Red Sox' medical staff. Team physician Dr. Thomas Gill determined it would be best for Lowrie to visit with Dr. Thomas Graham, who is the chief at the Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore.

"Out of respect for Jed, we're just trying to make sure we get the best possible answers we can," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

Francona explained the club explored all options after the 2008 season was over, and felt rehab was a better alternative to surgery for Lowrie. He rehabbed well during the offseason and arrived at camp healthy. The wrist began hurting him again a few weeks ago, but did not tell the manager last weekend in Anaheim.

Even though Lowrie hit well during camp, he was struggling in the first few games of the regular season. Still, Francona had no idea he was hurting.

"He had swung the bat so well during spring training, at some point you make outs. There were a couple of games where he actually swung the bat good again. I can't sit here and say we [knew], because we would have pulled him and asked him."