BOSTON — Mike Lowell was limping a bit in the clubhouse Monday but expects to be fresher than he’s been in weeks by this weekend.

Lowell was given a shot of both Synvisc and cortisone that he says acts as a gel to cushion strain in his right hip. Doctors drained 14 CC’s of fluid from the area as well. Lowell says he hopes to miss two or three days and be back tuning up for the playoffs by the end of this week.

“Heading into the postseason, I’d rather have more mobility than less. The docs said this would be a way to alleviate things,” he said. “This would be a good time to take two, three days off to really get my hip feeling a lot better.”

Lowell had a similar procedure done on June 29. He credited the shot with both easing pressure in his hip and gaining more flexibility. He says he could’ve made it through October without a second shot but saw little downside in the process.

“I don’t think this was a necessity but why not do something that’s not going to hurt me and makes me feel better,” he said.

Lowell struggled through the postseason last fall and ended up having surgery on his ailing hip last November. He says the comparison between last year and this is “one thousand to zero. Last year was just ridiculous,” he said.

The hip woes have limited Lowell’s speed on the basepaths, but in 117 games he’s remained productive with 17 homers with 75 RBI. Kevin Youkilis started at third base Monday but look for Terry Francona to try to play Nick Green or Jed Lowrie at third if he can sometime this week.

Lowell said he’s hoping his teammates can clinch a playoff spot in his absence.

“I know we haven’t mathematically clinched but I’m hoping we will and hopefully we can play things out in an intelligent manner instead of trying to rush things,” he said.

“He doesn’t complain much. I can’t imagine he feels like he’s 18 years old anymore. He does a really good job,” said Francona. “Anyone who has been around him knows he plays. What we watched last year until he couldn’t play is a testament to that. This is the last chance to do something like this. Again, we’re just trying to keep our house in order and that’s the best way to put it.”

Carter free to go

The Red Sox have finally freed Chris Carter.

The Sox designated Carter for assignment tonight and replaced him on the 40-man roster with left-handed pitcher Dustin Richardson. Richardson pitched for both Portland and Pawtucket this season and was an Eastern League all-star after holding opponents to a Double-A best .186 batting average.

Carter was long rumored to be the player-to-be-named in the Sox trade for reliever Billy Wagner. Carter was not immediately available to move on to the Mets because he was blocked on the waiver wire by the Yankees.

Carter made the Red Sox opening day roster but was 0-for-5 and drove in one run over four games from April 13-20. He played 116 games with Pawtucket this year and hit .294 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI.

This is the first major league stint for Richardson, 25. He was a fifth round pick in the 2006 draft and has moved well through the team’s minor league system. This season, he combined to go 2-2 with four saves and a 2.55 ERA over 45 relief appearances between Portland and Pawtucket. He owns a 22-21 record with 6 saves and a 4.11 ERA in 110 games (50 starts) over four seasons in the Red Sox organization.

Green almost ready

Nick Green continues to rehab from a recent disk problem in his lower back that has caused weakness in his leg.

Green was running sprints in the outfield grass Monday afternoon at Fenway Park and was also able to hit off a tee and played catch.

“He tolerated it pretty well. He still fatigues pretty quickly,” said Sox manager Francona. “His hope is maybe he can get into a game in a couple of days, but we’ll see. The good news is that he’s actually thinking about getting into a game in a couple of days. Again, we’ll have to see how he responds. That might be a little bit quick for me, but the fact he thinks he can get in a game means he’s going in the right direction.”

Honors night

Pre-game festivities at Fenway Park hit both sides of the age spectrum. Johnny Pesky, the 90-year-old former Red Sox, stood at the plate and took a pitch in full uniform as he was honored for his years with the Sox. And Aaron Joseph, of North Providence, a 17-year-old high school junior who was treated for cancer, threw out the first pitch.

jmcdonal@projo.com / (401) 277-7340

kmcnamar@projo.com / (401) 277-7340