The Tampa Bay Rays could be without their power-hitting utility man until late June as Brandon Lowe has been shut down from baseball activities for three weeks.
The #Rays say INF Brandon Lowe has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his low back. He will be held out of baseball activity for 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, he will be re-evaluated to determine a potential return to baseball activities & a timeline to return to the lineup.
— Neil Solondz (@neilsolondz) May 17, 2022
Lowe was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday, and it is clear a day later he will miss much more than just a week and a half. The 27-year-old has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his lower back, which is not a good problem for a guy who is very much a swing for the fences or strikeout kind of hitter.
Lowe had stumbled a bit out of the gates, hitting just .212 with five home runs, 12 RBI, and 20 runs through 32 games. He is also second on the team in strikeouts with 34, trailing only Randy Arozarena in that not-so fantasy-friendly category.
The former Maryland Terrapin is coming off a career year with personal bests in home runs (39), RBI (99), and walks (68). His 149 games played were also the most he’s ever suited up for in the bigs. Lowed played in 149 games in 2021, more than his previous two seasons combined.
The club recalled Isaac Paredes from Triple-A Durham to take Lowe’s spot on the active roster, but Vidal Bruján should get most of the reps at second base.
Tampa looks to get back in the win column after dropping its series opener against the Detroit Tigers last night. The Rays send staff ace Shane McClanahan (2-2, 2,52 ERA) to battle Beau Brieske (0-2, 3.86 ERA).
FanDuel Sportsbook has TB as a massive -300 moneyline favorite at Tropicana Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM ET.
