Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe has been shut down due to left hip inflammation, manager Kevin Cash told reporters Thursday morning.
As relayed by The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin, Lowe will not partake in baseball activities for six days. He is unlikely to play in a Grapefruit League game for 10-to-15 days.
Cash added that he was "not overly concerned" about Lowe, and that he still expects the 26-year-old to be ready in time for Opening Day on March 28.
Lowe had appeared in two Spring Training exhibitions prior to his injury. He was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, most recently taking the field Tuesday against the New York Yankees.
Last season, Lowe hit .292 with 20 home runs, 83 RBI, 32 stolen bases, an .835 OPS and a 3.7 WAR across 135 games. FanGraphs' ZiPS projections have Lowe on track to hit .259 with 16 home runs, 66 RBI, 25 stolen bases, a .758 OPS and a 2.7 WAR in 132 games in 2024.
Lowe made his MLB debut in 2021, but he only made two appearances that season. By the time he was called back up in 2022, MLB Pipeline had the former first round pick ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Tampa Bay's farm system and the No. 50 prospect in all of baseball.
Tampa Bay's second and third most regular right fielders in 2023, Manuel Margot and Luke Raley, were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners, respectively, earlier this offseason. Los Angeles then flipped Margot to the Minnesota Twins this week.
With Lowe out, Jonny DeLuca could be among the outfielders to see additional action in Grapefruit League play. The Rays acquired DeLuca from Los Angeles as part of the Tyler Glasnow trade in December.
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