Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell made a diving first-inning stop of a ball hit by the Tigers’ Ivan Rodriguez and threw him out at first base, but he paid a price.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

BOSTON — Third baseman Mike Lowell left last night’s game in the bottom of the second inning, suffering from a sprained left thumb.

He underwent x-rays last night at the ballpark, which proved negative. Lowell was listed last night as day-to-day.

Lowell made a diving backhand stop of a grounder by Ivan Rodriguez, the first batter of the game, and after throwing Rodriguez out at first, could be seen repeatedly shaking his thumb.

He took the field in the second inning, too, and made a play on a grounder from Edgar Renteria without incident. But when it came time for his first at-bat, he was replaced by Sean Casey. In the top of the third, Casey took over at first with Kevin Youkilis moving across the diamond to replace Lowell at third.

Last year, Lowell missed a handful of games in mid-June after suffering a similar injury earlier in the same month.

Jacoby Ellsbury was the choice in center field last night, as manager Terry Francona continues to alternate the rookie and Coco Crisp at the position.

“There needs to be some patience involved,” Francona said. “It’s hard for them to live through it now. We’ve got to give it time to play itself out.”

Lately, Francona has been deploying a platoon — with left-hitting Ellsbury facing righties, and switch-hitter Crisp getting to play against lefties — but that’s been more a function of the schedule, some off days and opposing team’s rotations.

Colon on the mend

Bartolo Colon, placed on the seven-day disabled list this week with a hip pointer, was examined by the training staff yesterday afternoon and was to be examined by the team’s medical staff before the game.

“He’s still a little tender,” Francona said, “and he won’t be allowed to throw until he’s not.”

Colon is unsure how the injury happened but told team officials that he had suffered similar ailments twice before in his career. Once, the condition sidelined for Colon for three weeks; another time, he was out for a week.

Francona said Colon has improved his conditioning since signing with the Sox at the end of February.

“He’s done a pretty good job with that,” the manager said. “We want to get him in the best possible shape he can to be able to repeat his delivery.”

Schilling not ready yet

Curt Schilling, sidelined by shoulder weakness, has yet to be cleared to begin light throwing.

“He’s chomping at the bit to throw,” Francona said, “but I don’t think Mike (Reinold, assistant trainer) believes (Schilling) is at a point where he can go out and throw.”

The Sox are being ultra-cautious with Schilling and don’t want his condition to worsen.

Around the bases

As part of the start of a series of celebrations, the Red Sox labeled last night as Dominican Heritage Night and the Dominican national anthem was played. … Before the game, Youkilis, the Red Sox player representative, presented the Players Choice Award to Dustin Pedroia as the American League’s Outstanding Rookie of 2007. … The Red Sox’ victory Tuesday was their 1,000th against the Tigers in franchise history. The Sox have also won more than a thousand against the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland A’s. … The Sox recorded two shutouts in the first eight games, the earliest they’ve posted two shutouts in a season since 2001, when the Sox notched two in the first six. The longest winless streak at the start of a season by a team that went on to make the postseason was six games by the 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates and the 1995 Cincinnati Reds. ... Inge, the Tigers’ ninth batter, has six of their 20 RBIs.

smcadam@projo.com