The Tampa Bay Rays have placed second baseman Brandon Lowe on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. The move is retroactive to Apr. 9 while the club recalled utility man Niko Goodrum from Triple-A Durham. Lowe has dealt with side soreness a couple of times early in the season and it appears the club will give him some time off to get the issue behind him. For the season, the 29-year-old has hit .185 with one homer across his first 30 trips to the plate. However, he has long been a reliable option at the second-base position as he slugged 21 homers to go along with seven stolen bases across 109 games last season. He is certainly worthy of an injury stash as the issue doesn't seem to be of the long-term variety.

An MRI exam revealed that Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (oblique) is dealing with a Grade 1 right-oblique strain, and he will be placed on the injured list before the team's series opener on Friday against the San Francisco Giants. It's a mild strain, but Lowe is still going to miss time. It's nothing new really for the left-handed slugger after he was limited to 174 games in the last two years due to back injuries and a fractured right kneecap. Prospect Curtis Mead and veteran Amed Rosario seem likely to get more work at the keystone in Lowe's absence, and the most likely candidate to fill Lowe's spot on the roster on Friday is switch-hitting infielder Niko Goodrum. In addition to his injury, Lowe has gotten off to a slow start, going just 5-for-27 (.185) with a homer, four RBI and seven strikeouts in his first eight games played in 2024. Expect him to miss at least several weeks, if not more.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (oblique), who is out of the starting lineup again on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, is getting an MRI exam on his right oblique. Manager Kevin Cash said it's "fair to say he will miss some time." It's an injury that Lowe has already been dealing with early this year, and it's looking like he's now going to go on the injured list in the near future. Fantasy managers will need to prepare for a potential absence of around 10 days to two weeks. Given the 29-year-old's lengthy injury history, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him miss more time than that, especially given the nature of his ailment. Curtis Mead is starting at second and batting fifth on Wednesday against Angels right-hander Jose Soriano and has hit .292 (7-for-24) in the early going for the Rays. He's certainly worth a waiver-wire pickup in AL-only leagues if he's available.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe is once again not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest against Jose Soriano and the Los Angeles Angels. The infielder has recently dealt with an oblique issue that has popped up for a second time in recent days as he last appeared on Sunday at Colorado. The 29-year-old's side issue could be the reason for a slow start as he's hitting just .185 (5-for-27) with a homer, a double, and two walks across 30 trips to the plate. However, he's long been a safe option at second base as he hit 21 home runs with seven stolen bases alongside a healthy 11.5% BB% in 109 games last season. Curtis Mead is manning the keystone and will hit fifth on Wednesday afternoon.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (oblique) isn't quite ready to return to the lineup on Friday versus the Colorado Rockies. Lowe left Wednesday's game early against the Texas Rangers due to left-side tightness, but tests didn't show any structural damage, and he's mainly being held out on Friday with left-hander Austin Gomber on the mound for Colorado. The Rays are expecting Lowe to be back in there on Saturday, so fantasy managers should check back for confirmation then as to whether he's back in action. With Lowe out on Friday, Curtis Mead is starting at the keystone and is batting sixth against Gomber. Mead is hitting .333 in three career at-bats versus Gomber and is off to a 5-for-14 (.357) start in 2024 in his first five games.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe's (oblique) MRI exam showed no structural issues after he was forced to leave Wednesday's game early against the Texas Rangers with left-oblique tightness. The Rays are facing a left-hander against the Colorado Rockies on Friday, but he'll be available off the bench and is expected to return to the starting lineup for the second game of the series on Saturday. It's good news that the oft-injured 29-year-old won't need a trip to the injured list early in the 2024 season. Oblique injuries can linger, though, so it's an ailment that could affect Lowe's production at the plate moving forward. The former third-rounder in 2015 out of Maryland is off to a slow start at the dish, too, going 3-for-16 (.188) with a homer and four RBI in his first five games of the year.

The Tampa Bay Rays said that second baseman Brandon Lowe (side) left Wednesday's loss to the Texas Rangers with left-side tightness and is day-to-day. For what it's worth, manager Kevin Cash said that he's hoping Lowe will be able to return to the lineup on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies. The Rays have an off day on Thursday and are scheduled to face a lefty on Friday. The 29-year-old oft-injured second baseman went 0-for-2 with a strikeout on Wednesday before he departed to drop his early season average to .188. Amed Rosario replaced Lowe at the keystone for the rest of the game on Wednesday and could get the start at second for the series opener against Colorado on Friday. Check back on Saturday to see if Lowe is back in there.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe is not in the starting lineup on Tuesday against Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney. It's the second time that Lowe has started on the bench for the Rays this year with the team facing a southpaw. Curtis Mead is getting the start at the keystone instead and will bat sixth for the Rays against Heaney. The oft-injured Lowe has one 3-for-14 so far in the first four games of the season with a homer, four RBI, a run scored and five strikeouts in 16 plate appearances. Mead, 23, went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk on Monday against Texas. He should get most of his playing time for the Rays against left-handed pitching in 2024.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe clubbed a grand slam in the third inning of Friday's 8-2 win over the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, adding a single in the fifth frame. After going 1-for-3 on Thursday, Lowe is off to a strong start in the regular season following a dismal spring training that saw him get only five hits (three homers) in 37 Grapefruit League at-bats. The 29-year-old righty masher bounced back from a brutal first-half slump in 2023, slashing .253/.348/.484 with 12 home runs and 37 RBI in his final 54 games (221 plate appearances) of the year, but a right patella fracture ended his season in late September. Set to play every day against right-handed pitching and occupy a top lineup spot in Tampa Bay's batting order, Lowe is a name to watch in all fantasy leagues for managers in need of power numbers. Just know he tends to run very hot and cold.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League matchup versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 29-year-old has now homered twice with a pair of RBI this spring, but has struggled with just three hits in 23 at-bats. Lowe has historically been a good source of power that will sink one's batting average, but has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons. His value isn't what it once was, but with an ADP of 330, his power is worth the gamble.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (illness) returned to workouts with the rest of the team in spring training on Thursday after being held back in the last week due to an illness. Lowe will now begin ramping things up before eventually appearing in Grapefruit League games. The 29-year-old has impressive power at the second base position from the left side of the plate, but he has struggled against left-handed pitching and has only played in over 100 games twice in his six major-league seasons. Lowe played in 109 games in 2023 and slashed .231/.328/.443 with 21 home runs, 68 RBI and seven stolen bases in 436 plate appearances. He had a career-high 39 long balls in 149 games in 2021, but that season has been an outlier for Lowe. He's a risk/reward power bat at second base.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (illness) was held out of workouts at spring training again on Tuesday due to an illness, according to manager Kevin Cash. Lowe should be able to rejoin the team at camp later this week. The 29-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder will open the 2024 season as the team's regular second baseman as long as he can stay healthy. He managed to play over 100 games in 2023 for just the second time in six major-league seasons while hitting .231/.328/.443 with 21 home runs, 15 doubles, a triple, 68 RBI, seven stolen bases and 58 runs scored in 109 games. Lowe is an injury risk and struggles to hit left-handers, but otherwise, his power from the left side at the keystone makes him a solid backup middle-infield option for fantasy managers.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (knee) said his broken right kneecap has healed and that he should not have limitations going forward this winter or going into the 2024 campaign. Lowe barely played in over 100 games for the second time in his six seasons in the big leagues and slashed .231/.328/.443 with 21 home runs, 15 doubles, a triple, 68 RBI, seven stolen bases and 58 runs scored in 436 total plate appearances. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has impressive power at the second base position and also had a career-high 39 home runs in 149 games in 2021. However, injuries continue to limit him and he'll need to improve against left-handers if he's going to improve on his 2023 numbers. Lowe is a risk/reward power bat at the keystone in fantasy.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed second baseman Brandon Lowe (knee) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday and recalled outfielder Raimel Tapia from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Lowe fractured his right patella fouling a ball off his knee on Thursday and is expected to miss the next four to six weeks. It's an unfortunate injury for the 29-year-old left-handed hitter with the regular season coming to a close in just over a week. Even if the Rays make a deep postseason run, Lowe is unlikely to be available to play in October. The Rays are limping to the finish line with key injuries to Lowe, Luke Raley and Randy Arozarena. Lowe finishes his 2023 season with a .231/.328/.443 slash line with 21 home runs, 68 RBI, seven stolen bases and 58 runs scored in 377 at-bats.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (knee) has been diagnosed with a right patella fracture and is expected to be shelved for four-to-six weeks. It's a bit of surprising turn of events after the 29-year-old fouled a ball off of his right knee during Thursday's contest but was able to remain in the game for a few more innings. Lowe is obviously done for the regular season and would need the Rays to make a deep postseason run in order to return in 2023. The slugger ran hot and cold all year, ultimately submitting a .231/.328/.443 slash line with 21 home runs, 68 RBI, and seven stolen bases during 377 at-bats. Rookie Curtis Mead, who replaced Lowe in the lineup on Thursday and Friday, should see more action in the infield during the final week of play.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that second baseman Brandon Lowe (knee) was limping noticeably due to a sore right knee after he fouled a ball off of it on Thursday, and he's gone for more testing on Friday. Lowe is obviously not playing on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays, with Isaac Paredes drawing the start at the keystone and hitting fifth against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt. Curtis Mead is starting at the hot corner. The results of Lowe's tests will determine how much time he will miss, but with only nine games remaining before the end of the regular season, the Rays might just be hoping that he'll be back in time for the playoffs. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter is batting .231 (87-for-377) on the year with 21 homers, 68 RBI, seven stolen bases and 58 runs scored for the Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (knee) was pulled from Thursday's game versus the Los Angeles Angels due to an apparent right knee injury. The 29-year-old left during the top of the ninth inning after fouling a ball off of his right knee earlier in the game. He went 0-for-2 with a walk before Curtis Mead replaced him defensively. Fantasy managers should deem Lowe day-to-day until we hear more, but it bodes well that he wasn't forced from the contest immediately. The Rays have a deep depth chart at the keystone, so Osleivis Basabe and Jonathan Aranda could also slide in if Lowe is not ready for Friday's series opener vs. the Toronto Blue Jays or beyond.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe will start Monday's game on the pine against the San Francisco Giants. The Giants are using right-hander Ryan Walker as an opener, but left-hander Sean Manaea will come out of the bullpen for the Giants as their bulk reliever. Isaac Paredes will start at the keystone and hit cleanup, while Curtis Mead is at third base and batting sixth. Lowe has 27 at-bats against southpaws this year and has only four hits and no home runs against them. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger is batting a lowly .221 (61-for-276), but his power (15 home runs) plays in fantasy at the keystone and he's also driven in 46 runs and stolen six bags in 2023. If Lowe is healthy down the stretch, he could be a nice piece for fantasy squads down the stretch.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe is not in the starting lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals and left-hander Matthew Liberatore on Thursday in the series finale. Isaac Paredes will play the keystone and bat fifth, with Curtis Mead at the hot corner and batting seventh against Liberatore. Lowe has just 26 at-bats against southpaws this year and has four hits against them (no homers) for a .154 average. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter appears to be past a disc issue in his back and has hit .258 (23-for-89) with six home runs, five doubles, 16 RBI, two steals and 12 runs scored in 27 games (25 starts) since returning from the injured list on July 4. Lowe probably isn't going to hit for average the rest of the way, but his power at second base can be pretty useful.