BOSTON — Jed Lowrie's comeback from wrist surgery will shift into a higher gear early next week, when he takes live batting practice at Lowell on Monday and Tuesday.

 He'll have Wednesday off before management, and the medical staff, decides where he should go from there.

 Manager Terry Francona said Thursday afternoon there's a chance Lowrie could be sent to extended spring training in Fort Myers, or to Pawtucket. It all depends how his surgically repaired wrist reacts to the live BP session.

 The Single-A Spinners begin their season next Friday, but the club's pitchers will be working out earlier in the week, which allows Lowrie to face some live hitting in a controlled environment.

 It's possible Lowrie could be return to the Red Sox lineup by late June or early July.

 Lowrie and the Sox are treating this like he's beginning spring training.

 "This will work," said Francona. "He's okay with it, which is important. It'll help him."

Lowrie played with a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist for the majority of last season. Instead of having offseason surgery, the Sox thought it best for him to rehab. When he arrived in camp he was in great shape and felt no ill-effects with his wrist at first. But as spring training continued, Lowrie began to feel fatigue and his strength was on the decline. Finally, in the second week of the regular season, he was placed on the disabled list and had surgery.

Now he says his wrist feels the best it ever has, and he's looking forward to playing at the major league level at full capacity.

"When I first got called up last year I felt good," he said. "Even after the injury I felt pretty good, but after it wore down throughout the year, and the last couple of months of the season, that's when I felt it really effected me."

"I felt like I played effectively, and up to my abilities for a little bit last year. I'm just looking forward to being able to have that opportunity to go out there and play 100 percent. Well, I don't want to say 100 percent, because once you start the year you're never 100 percent. Let's say injury-free."

Francona is looking forward to penciling Lowrie's name on a lineup card, too.

"It'll be exciting. This spring when he came to camp he was hitting the ball as hard as he can hit the ball for about three weeks, and it was fun to watch," said Francona. "Then his strength [in the wrist] starting going down, and we didn't know it, but we should have.

"It'll be great," the manager continued. "It will be good for him and it'll take a lot of anxiety away from him."

Lowrie will travel with the club to Philadelphia this weekend. Once he arrives in Lowell on Monday he'll attempt to find his timing and rhythm at the plate.

"Obviously you can't simulate the game-like feel at Fenway, but we'll get as close as we can," Lowrie said.

It's been a long process with Lowrie's wrist and now he can see the finish line.

"I do. It's exciting for me to feel like that, but at the same time I have to stay in the moment and continue to push through with my wrist because it's not where it needs to be, but it's almost there."

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Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was not in the starting lineup for the third straight game because of a bruised right shoulder. He injured the shoulder making a spectacular catch on the Rangers' Ian Kinsler last Sunday at Fenway Park.

Francona hopes Ellsbury will be ready to play Friday against the Phillies.

"He is getting better and he should play [Friday]," Francona said.

jmcdonal@projo.com