Victorino returns to Red Sox lineup

BOSTON -- After leaving Sunday's game against Detroit with back stiffness, Shane Victorino returned to the Red Sox lineup Tuesday.

Lower back problems caused Victorino to miss time earlier this season, prompting some to question whether Sunday's incident, which resulted from him running into an outfield wall, re-aggravated the problem area.

But manager John Farrell said his outfielder is good to go for Boston's two-game set against the Rockies.

"More upper back as opposed to low back," Farrell said. "After a full day of treatment in here yesterday, he felt like he could have played last night. There's no continued soreness or stiffness today. He's back in the lineup."

Victorino, who is batting .285 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 48 games this season, is known for his aggressive style of play which sometimes leads to injuries, but Farrell said he won't ask Victorino to be more conservative.

"It's the way he plays," Farrell said. "His instincts and determination and his speed allows him to cover a lot more ground and get to a lot more balls that otherwise are going to fall in."