BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox placed shortstop Jed Lowrie on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a left shoulder injury and recalled utility man Drew Sutton from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Lowrie, already dealing with an injury to the non-throwing shoulder that resulted from a May 29 collision with teammate Carl Crawford, left Thursday night’s game at Tampa Bay after a first-inning swing and was sent for an MRI. He had been slumping while dealing with the problem.

“Jed got an MRI this morning and actually the MRI was really pretty good,” Manager Terry Francona said before Friday night’s game against Milwaukee.

“Structurally, it didn’t look like there was any significant damage, which is really good.”

Lowrie, batting .270 with three homers and 25 RBI, was on the disabled list twice in 2009 with left wrist trouble and started last season on the DL while fighting mononucleosis.

Marco Scutaro, who opened the season as the starting shortstop and then went on the disabled list for a month, will man the position while Lowrie is out.

BUCHHOLZ RESTING: Right-hander Clay Buchholz, who left Thursday night’s start with continued back trouble, will be pushed back at least a couple of days to get some extra rest. Francona called that “the best-case scenario.”

“He’s going to fight us tooth and nail to not miss a start, which we like but we need to see how he progresses the next couple of days.”

Veteran left-hander Andrew Miller will come up from Pawtucket to start Monday night, but Francona said that doesn’t mean the Sox will go to a six-man rotation.

PAPELBON SUSPENSION: Closer Jonathan Papelbon had his suspension stemming from a bumping incident with an umpire reduced from three games to two by Major League Baseball.

Papelbon, ejected by plate umpire Tony Randazzo during a June 4 game at Fenway Park, will serve his suspension Friday and today, missing two home games against Milwaukee.

INJURY, ILLNESS: Carl Crawford left Friday’s game after hurting his left hamstring while running out an infield single for the Red Sox in the first inning.

Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis also left, because of a stomach illness. He was replaced by Drew Sutton in the top of the fifth.

Crawford was hurt while reaching first base just ahead of the throw from third baseman Casey McGehee.

Francona and a trainer went out to check on the speedy left fielder, who held the back of his left leg above the knee.