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Aug 4, 2010 - 3:50 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Cleveland (45-61) at Boston (60-46), 7:10 p.m. EDT

Another injury to a star player isn't the only obstacle this week for the Boston Red Sox, whose four-game series with the Cleveland Indians has taken a tempestuous turn following a bench-clearing incident.

The Red Sox will also have to overcome one of their former teammates Wednesday night when Justin Masterson makes his first appearance at Fenway Park as a visitor, facing Jon Lester as Boston's ace looks to snap the longest individual losing streak of his career.

The Red Sox (61-46) began Tuesday by getting some bleak news regarding Kevin Youkilis, who may miss the rest of the season after tearing a muscle in his thumb during Monday's 6-5 loss to the Indians.

It's the latest setback for Boston, which remains without 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia after spending earlier parts of the season minus right-handers Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz and catchers Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek.

Reinforcements are starting to arrive. Beckett continued his resurgence with eight strong innings in Tuesday's 3-1 win, while Mike Lowell, activated from the disabled list to fill in for Youkilis, hit a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw.

Lowell, whom Boston tried to trade before Saturday's deadline, got a standing ovation before the at-bat.

The Red Sox, who trail Tampa Bay by 6 1/2 games and New York by 5 1/2 in the AL East, gets more help Wednesday with Jacoby Ellsbury set to be activated. The speedy leadoff man has been limited to nine games all season due to broken ribs.

"He brings something to our lineup that we've been missing," manager Terry Francona said.

He'll enter a suddenly stormy series. Beckett hit Shelley Duncan and Shin-Soo Choo with pitches Tuesday, and the benches cleared after Indians relievers threw behind David Ortiz and Adrian Beltre later in the game.

Cleveland's Jensen Lewis, Indians third-base coach Steve Smith and Beckett were ejected.

"That's part of the game," Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. "The players usually take care of their own thing. ... A lot of pushing and shoving, some tough guys trying to find other guys but nothing major."

That may leave a delicate situation for Masterson, whom Boston sent to the Indians (45-62) as part of the trade for Martinez on July 31, 2009. The right-hander dominated the Red Sox on June 9 in Cleveland, pitching a two-hitter for his first career shutout in an 11-0 win.

"All the things we used to brag about when he was in our uniform, he showed it," Francona said. "That's about as good a game as you can pitch."

Masterson (3-10, 5.55 ERA) has not been as good since, going 1-5 with a 6.55 ERA in nine starts. He allowed career highs of eight earned runs and 13 hits in 5 1-3 innings of an 8-1 loss at Toronto on Friday.

Lester (11-6, 3.05) has also struggled lately, posting a 4.57 ERA while losing all three of his starts since the All-Star break, already the longest skid of his career.

The left-hander has slipped to 53-22 in his career, still the second-best winning percentage behind San Francisco's Tim Lincecum among active players with at least 50 decisions.

Lester has never lost to the Indians, going 3-0 in seven outings, but struggled in Cleveland on June 10, allowing six runs in six innings of Boston's 8-7 defeat.

The Indians' lineup also has a hole after catcher Carlos Santana went on the disabled list with a knee injury Tuesday. Santana was injured Monday in a home-plate collision with Boston's Ryan Kalish. Lou Marson replaced him in Tuesday's starting lineup and homered for Cleveland's lone run.