Rangers’ Cliff Lee gets a shot to help with ailing back

Rangers left-hander Cliff Lee returned to Texas on Wednesday to get a shot and have his ailing back checked out.

Lee was scheduled to rejoin the American League West leaders on Friday.

Lee is 0-3 with an 8.28 earned-run average in his last five starts. He gave up six runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings Tuesday night at Kansas City.

“After the game last night Cliff Lee told us he was experiencing some discomfort in his back,” Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine said. “We flew him back to Dallas to see [Rangers team physician] Dr. [Keith] Meister. He put him through a battery of tests today and also gave him a trigger point injection in his back.”

Levine said some component of the shot is cortisone, “but I wouldn’t describe it as a cortisone shot.”

Josh Hamilton was held out of the Rangers’ lineup Wednesday after receiving a shot the previous night for his sore right knee.

Hamilton, who leads the majors with a .361 batting average, was the designated hitter the previous two games at Kansas City.

Lowe to miss start

Right-hander Derek Lowe will skip his scheduled start Friday for the Atlanta Braves because of lingering pain in his right elbow.

Lowe received a cortisone shot and had hoped to go out for his regular off-day throwing session Wednesday, but his elbow was still too sore. The National League East-leading Braves decided to shut him down for a few days, hoping that will relieve his discomfort and allow him to finish the season.

Lowe, 37, has never been on the disabled list. In fact, this will be the first time he’s missed a scheduled start.

Marlins catcher hurt

Florida Marlins catcher Brett Hayes is out indefinitely with a separated left shoulder that he suffered on a collision at home Tuesday night.

Hayes was injured on an inning-ending double play in the top of the 10th when Nationals center fielder Nyjer Morgan slammed into Hayes attempting to score from second base on a ground ball. Morgan is OK and returned to batting lead-off for Washington on Wednesday at Florida.