TAMPA -- Josh Lowe chopped a two-out single up the middle, stepped out of the batter¡¯s box slowly and shouted in frustration as he trotted down the line.
After recording his first hit in his second at-bat of the season in the fifth inning of the Rays¡¯ 3-2 win over the Rockies on Friday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Lowe walked off the field and into the Rays¡¯ dugout with head athletic trainer Joe Benge.
A day later, Lowe was placed on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 2 right oblique strain. The Rays recalled outfielder Jake Mangum from Triple-A Durham to take his place.
An injury on Opening Day that leads to time on the injured list would be aggravating for any player, but it¡¯s especially agonizing for Lowe.
¡°Still feeling the same way. Upset,¡± Lowe said Saturday, after undergoing imaging. ¡°It is what it is. Today¡¯s going to be the last day that I feel bad for myself. Then put one foot in front of the other and start getting better.¡±
Lowe said he felt it on the sixth pitch of his at-bat against Rockies starter Kyle Freeland, which he fouled off. Knowing something felt "different" on his right side, near his lower ribs, he called time to gather himself. As soon as he made contact with the next pitch, he could tell he was hurt.
It¡¯s still too early to estimate a return to play, but manager Kevin Cash said it will be ¡°multiple weeks¡± and that he¡¯ll be out ¡°some time.¡± He was out roughly a month and a half last year due to a right oblique strain.
Lowe initially felt the pain in a different spot than the oblique injury he sustained last season, but an MRI confirmed that it was in roughly the same area and slightly worse than his previous strain.
¡°I don¡¯t really want to put a number out there on how long it¡¯s going to take, but it is a little worse than what happened last year,¡± Lowe said. ¡°Been through it. Maybe that¡¯s a blessing in disguise, knowing what it takes to get better, kind of what to expect from the rehab standpoint. But I¡¯m going to do what I can every single day to make sure that I¡¯m getting one step better.¡±
Tampa Bay¡¯s right fielder put together a fantastic Spring Training, batting .429 with a 1.124 OPS -- "as good a spring as anybody," Cash said. But more important than Lowe's statistics was the fact that he remained healthy after injuries kept him off the field and limited his production last season.
Lowe was set back by injuries from the start last season. He was bothered in the offseason by a left hip issue, which flared up again in Spring Training. Lowe was shut down in camp due to left hip inflammation, sustained a right oblique strain when he was almost back from that injury and had his season debut delayed until May 6 due to right hamstring tightness. Less than a month later, he went back on the injured list due to a recurrence of his oblique injury.
"You just feel for him. Just like [injured ace Shane McClanahan], you feel for him. Frustrated," Cash said Friday. "Josh battled injuries for the better part of six months last year. Then to have a healthy spring, a dominant spring, and then [second] at-bat in, he¡¯s out of the game ¨C I can¡¯t imagine what¡¯s going through his head.
"He¡¯ll get back out there eventually and help us win."
The Rays saw Lowe¡¯s potential in 2023, when he hit .292 with an .835 OPS to go along with 20 homers, 32 steals and 83 RBIs. He managed to steal 25 bases in 106 games last season, but his production dropped to a .241/.302/.391 slash line with 10 homers, 19 doubles and 34 RBIs.
In his place, expect to see a fair amount of Kameron Misner -- the Rays¡¯ Opening Day walk-off hero -- in right field, especially against right-handed pitchers. Mangum will also be in the mix, as will super-utility man Jos¨¦ Caballero. The Rays were already down one outfielder, as Richie Palacios (fractured right ring finger) started the season on the injured list.
¡°It¡¯s something you never want to see. He¡¯s a great player, obviously, and the team needs him,¡± Misner said. ¡°I¡¯m just here to help the team win, and yesterday I was able to do that. Unfortunate for him.¡±