Red Sox infielder Mike Lowell has played with a fractured rib this season. Lowell revealed on Saturday that he has been playing with the injury since an Aug. 20 collision with Toronto's John McDonald. "And [Adrian] Beltre didn't even hit me," said Lowell, referring to the fractured ribs outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Jeremy Hermida suffered this season after running into the third baseman. Lowell thought he had a bruised rib at first. When the injury did not heal quickly, he had an X-ray in Tampa last weekend that revealed the hairline fracture of the sixth front rib. Lowell had an MRI and CT scan Friday to make sure the injury wasn't anything serious. "As long as I can deal with it, I'm medically cleared to play," he said. "It's fine with me. I think a fracture makes it really sound worse than what it is."