8 Brandon Lowe 2B

Lowe is getting regular batting practice in at home while spring training remains suspended with the help of his wife Madison, a former college softball player, Karen Loftus of WFLA-TV reports. "I thank God every day to have someone that understands everything that I'm going through on a daily basis and to have someone that I can confide in and stuff like that," Lowe said. "She can actually have a good conversation about what she sees when she's in the stance or I can come up to her and say can you give me some front toss or can we go outside and throw?"

Madison Lowe was a pitcher at Maryland, where Brandon played college baseball. In addition to getting in his swings, the versatile 25-year-old is working out in a personal garage gym that he recently showed off via his personal Twitter account. Lowe, who hit an impressive .350 (7-for-20) before Grapefruit League play was suspended, is expected to primarily handle second-base duties whenever the regular season does get underway.

Lowe, who hit .350 (7-for-20) across nine Grapefruit League contests, should be in the lineup the majority of the time when the Rays face a right-handed starting pitcher this season, John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe showed marked improvement at the plate in what was his second big-league tour of duty in 2019, as he slashed .270/.336/.514 with 36 extra-base hits (17 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs) and 51 RBI over 327 plate appearances. The 25-year-old flashed some defensive versatility as well, logging time at four different defensive positions and at designated hitter. Lowe's success this spring only serves to brighten his prospects for the coming season, and his solid .278/.355/.543 line across 259 plate appearances versus righties in 2019 supports the notion his playing time should remain secure versus that handedness.

Lowe (personal) is in the lineup for Tuesday's spring game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe was excused Monday to tend to his spring training home with a brush fire in the area, but that will be the extent of his absence. He will man second base and hit cleanup in Tuesday's batting order.

Lowe said Saturday that he feels fully healthy entering spring training after he missed much of the second half of the 2019 season while battling a quadriceps injury, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The Rays initially ruled Lowe out for the season in late August after he strained his left quad while rehabbing a bone bruise in his right shin, but the 25-year-old was surprisingly able to make it back in action in the final week of the campaign to earn his spot on the postseason roster. Lowe wasn't especially productive following his return from the lengthy layoff, but after he resumed rehabbing the quad over the winter, he feels confident he'll be able to regain the strong form he displayed early last season. Lowe slashed .270/.336/.514 with 17 home runs and five steals across 327 plate appearances en route to earning an All-Star nod in 2019, but his 34.6 percent strikeout rate suggests some regression could be headed his way even if health prevails.

Lowe is not in the starting nine for Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Astros on Thursday.

The 25-year-old has gone 3-for-9 with a home run and a double over the last two games in the ALDS, but won't start against Gerrit Cole on Thursday. Eric Sogard will start at second base, batting fifth.

Lowe will be on the bench for Wednesday's AL Wild Card Game in Oakland, Josh Tolentino of The Athletic reports.

Lowe will sit along with most of the Rays' lefties with southpaw Sean Manaea starting for the Athletics. Mike Brosseau gets the start at second base.

Lowe is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Josh Tolentino of The Athletic reports.

Lowe is 7-for-37 (.189 average) in his last 12 games and will head to the bench for the final game of the regular season. Daniel Robertson will cover the keystone in his place Sunday.

Lowe is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Yankees, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

Lowe will give way to Joey Wendle at the keystone in Tuesday's series opener with a pair of left-handers in Jordan Montgomery and CC Sabathia slated to pitch for the Yankees. The infielder has appeared in two games since returning from the IL, going 2-for-6 with a home run.

Lowe (quadriceps) went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run in a loss to the Red Sox on Sunday, his first major-league appearance since July 2.

Lowe's furious comeback from nagging lower-leg issues culminated in Sunday's return, with the infielder scoring the Rays' first run of the contest. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that manager Kevin Cash plans to manage Lowe carefully over the final week of the regular season, given the 25-year-old's extended layoff and still recovering lower body. "In fairness to him, he's not going to be a burner on the bases, " said Cash. "We've asked him to do everything he can to manage kind of a controlled run. We'll pinch-run for him in a big spot."

Lowe (quad) is in the starting lineup Sunday against the Red Sox.

Lowe was activated from the injured list Sunday and will immediately return to the lineup. He's slated to bat fifth and start at second base in his first major-league game action since July 2.

Lowe (quadriceps) was activated from the injured list Sunday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe was previously ruled out for the season; however, he has progressed to the point of beating his original timetable. The team hasn't realize a concrete plan of how to utilize him to close the regular season, given that he has not been able to participate in a rehab assignment. Instead, he's played in simulated games to get back into game shape.

Lowe (quad) played in a simulated game at Tropicana Field on Saturday and suffered no setbacks, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe played four innings at second base and turned a couple double plays. He also drew three plate appearances, collecting two hits and a walk. The Rays are expected to make a decision regarding the activation of Lowe soon, as he won't be able to make any minor-league rehab appearances.

Lowe (quad) will play in an instructional game Saturday and be evaluated afterward, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe can't be sent on a rehab assignment with the minor-league season over, but he is at the point in his recovery where he is participating in game-like scenarios. Manager Kevin Cash said earlier in the week that Lowe was not ready to run at full speed just yet, but if he is able to clear that hurdle Saturday, it seems there's a chance he could return to the lineup before the regular season comes to a close.

Lowe (quadriceps) took at-bats in an instructional league game Tuesday but a return prior to the end of the regular season remains uncertain, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. "Timing at the plate is there," manager Kevin Cash said. "Infield is there, but the running is not quite where we need it to be for his sake."

Lowe has actually beaten the odds somewhat in terms of his recovery, as he was initially expected to miss the remainder of the season after straining his left quadriceps in a rehab game Aug. 22. However, as Cash's comments indicate, he's made significant strides since that point yet remains at less than 100 percent in terms of getting around the bases. Lowe is slated to take Wednesday off before potentially participating in a simulated game Thursday and then another instructional league game Saturday.

Lowe (quadriceps) is slated to see live at-bats during the coming week in the form of a simulated game Monday against Yonny Chirinos (finger) and in Instructional League games the rest of the week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays and Lowe continue to keep hope alive with respect to a return before the end of the regular season, and this coming week's planned activities should prove a strong litmus test for how realistic activation during the final week of the campaign might be. Lowe experienced some leg fatigue during a sim game last Thursday, but that wasn't overly concerning given that the 25-year-old had been running for a string of days prior.

Lowe (quadriceps) is expected to be sent to the instructional league Tuesday to see more at-bats, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe felt some fatigue in his leg during Thursday's sim game, but assuming everything goes as planned over the next few days, he'll head to the instructional league Tuesday with the hope of returning to the big leagues before the regular season comes to an end. It's unknown how many at-bats he'll need to see before being activated from the 60-day injured list.

Lowe (quadriceps) experienced some leg fatigue while working against Yonny Chirinos (finger) in a sim game Thursday, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports.

Despite the seemingly negative slant on the news, the fatigue wasn't overly alarming considering Lowe had been putting his legs through the ringer by running over each of the previous four days. Lowe is slated for another sim game matchup against Chirinos this coming Monday, but that's scheduled to be preceded by a live batting practice session at Tropicana Field on Friday.

Lowe (quadriceps) took grounders Monday and is slated to hit in a simulated game Wednesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe continues to trend towards a return this season, as he's finally been cleared to face live pitching. He'll step into the box against Yonny Chirinos, who's on the mend from a finger injury. The next step in Lowe's rehab should be announced shortly after Wednesday's sim game.

Lowe (quadriceps) has been making progress and could potentially return this season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe had been ruled out for the season in late August, but the Rays are now not sure whether he could still make it back at some point. If his progress continues, he'll face live pitching soon, at which point the Rays will likely make a decision on his timeline.

Lowe (quadriceps) was transferred to 60-day injured list Friday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe was confirmed to be done for the season by manager Kevin Cash on Thursday, so the move to the 60-day IL is simply procedural. The 25-year-old was on a rehab assignment and nearing his return to the majors before suffering a left quadriceps strain earlier this week.