Lowe said Tuesday that he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his lower back and won't be available to resume baseball activities for at least three weeks, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Even if Lowe is cleared for baseball activities in the first week of June once he's re-evaluated, he'll more than likely require at least one more week beyond that to regain his conditioning as well as his timing at the plate, so fantasy managers should probably plan on his absence extending until at least mid-June. Tampa Bay called up Isaac Paredes from Triple-A Durham after Lowe was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday, and Paredes and Vidal Brujan could stand to benefit the most from a playing-time perspective while the 27-year-old is on the shelf.
Lowe (back) hit the injured list as expected Monday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Lowe was left out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, with reports emerging that a trip to the injured list was considered likely. Whether or not he'll have a shot to return in the minimum 10 days is not yet clear. Isaac Paredes was recalled to take his place on the roster and could spend some time at second base, while Vidal Brujan is also a candidate for an increased role.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Heading to injured list
Rotowire
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Lowe is dealing with a lower-back issue and will likely be placed on the 10-day injured list, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The injury explains why Lowe isn't in the lineup Monday against the Tigers and likely explains why he was scratched for undisclosed reasons ahead of Saturday's loss to the Blue Jays. The severity of the issue isn't yet clear, but the Rays should have more information on that front after Lowe visits a doctor Monday, according to Topkin. The Rays plan to call up Isaac Paredes from Triple-A Durham to replace Lowe on the 26-man active roster, but because Paredes isn't scheduled to arrive in Tampa Bay until Tuesday, the team is expected to wait a day before officially deactivating Lowe.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Not included in lineup Monday
Rotowire
Lowe is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
After being a late scratch ahead of Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays due to an unspecified injury or illness, Lowe checked back into the lineup for Sunday's series finale and went 1-for-4 with a run scored. However, Lowe was used as a designated hitter in that contest rather than his usual spot at second base, implying that he wasn't fully healthy. Lowe is back on the bench Monday for the second time in three days, but the Rays haven't suggested he experienced any sort of setback following Sunday's 3-0 win. Even so, fantasy managers in shallower leagues in particular may be enticed to turn to other options this week, especially with the knowledge that Lowe will start in only five games at a maximum.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Back in action Sunday
Rotowire
Lowe (undisclosed) is starting at designated hitter and leading off Sunday against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
He was a late scratch from Saturday's lineup and no explanation was given for his absence, so it's good to see that it was a minor issue. The fact that he is in as the DH might suggest he is not quite 100 percent.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Late scratch Saturday
Rotowire
Lowe was scratched from Saturday's lineup against the Blue Jays for an unspecified reason, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
It's not yet clear whether Lowe is dealing with an injury, but he was removed from the lineup with under an hour before first pitch. Taylor Walls will take over at the keystone and bat eighth.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: On bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Lowe isn't starting Wednesday against the Angels, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Lowe started in the last five games and went 4-for-17 with two homers, four doubles, four runs, two RBI and four walks. Vidal Brujan will start at the keystone and bat seventh in Wednesday's series finale.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Draws two walks
Rotowire
Lowe went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored Friday against Seattle.
Lowe was on base four times -- he was also hit by a pitch -- and drew his first free pass since April 23. He also extended his hitting streak to five games with the effort, though all have been one-hit performances and he has only one RBI and three runs scored in that span. Overall, Lowe is hitting just .200/.287/.337 across his first 108 plate appearances of the season.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Smacks two homers
Rotowire
Lowe went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs, two walks and three runs scored Saturday against the Mariners.
Lowe took Marco Gonzales yard in consecutive plate appearances, bringing his homer total to five on the season. Lowe extended his hitting streak to six games with the effort, though this was his first multi-hit effort in that span. He is still having a subpar start to the season, but he has improved his line to .214/.310/.408 to go along with 11 RBI and 18 runs scored across 113 plate appearances.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Takes seat Thursday
Rotowire
Lowe is out of the lineup for Thursday's game at Seattle, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Lowe started the past nine games and will receive a day off after posting a .508 OPS and 36.1 percent strikeout rate during that span. Taylor Walls will shift to the keystone while Isaac Paredes starts at third base.
Lowe is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Lowe will take a seat along with fellow lefty-hitting regulars Josh Lowe and Ji-Man Choi as the Rays load up on right-handed bats to counter Boston southpaw Rich Hill. Randy Arozarena will replace Lowe as the Rays' leadoff hitter, while Vidal Brujan fills in for Lowe at second base.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Belts two-run blast in loss
Rotowire
Lowe went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's 6-3 loss to Oakland. He didn't strikeout or walk.
Lowe registered his third two-hit game and his third home run of the season during Thursday's contest. His two-run blast came off Athletics starter Cole Irvin in the seventh inning with the Rays trailing 6-1. After seven games, Lowe is on pace to match his career-high 39-homer, 99-RBI campaign from a year ago.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Scores three runs in win
Rotowire
Lowe went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, a walk and two additional runs during Tuesday's 9-8 win over Oakland in 10 innings.
The 27-year-old hit a leadoff homer during the opening frame and excelled as a table setter the rest of the evening. Lowe was hitless in the first two games of the season but has come alive across the past three contests, going 5-for-13 with two home runs, three RBI and five runs scored.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Launches first home run
Rotowire
Lowe went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in an 8-0 win over the Orioles on Sunday.
Batting leadoff for the second straight day, Lowe picked up his first hit of the year with his second-inning shot that chased Tyler Wells from the game. He later scored on a Wander Franco single in the seventh and finished his day with a pair of strikeouts. Lowe hit leadoff 60 times in 2021, and it looks like he'll continue to own that role against right-handers.
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Rays' Brandon Lowe: Draws walk in win
Rotowire
Lowe went 0-for-3 with a walk in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Orioles.
After going 0-for-3 with an RBI in Friday's 2-1 win while batting out of the fifth spot in the order against Orioles lefty John Means, Lowe moved into the leadoff role Saturday with a right-hander (Jordan Lyles) on the mound for Baltimore. Though he couldn't take advantage of the favorable matchup Saturday, the lefty-hitting Lowe looks like he'll be used regularly out of the table-setting role versus right-handers, an arrangement that could allow him to make a push for 100-plus runs if health prevails. Lowe scored 97 times across 615 plate appearances in 2021.
