The third time was not the charm for Jed Lowrie and the Athletics.
The 14-year veteran's third stint in Oakland ended on Thursday after Lowrie was released. The A's designated the infielder for assignment on Wednesday in a series of roster moves.
Lowrie first played in Oakland in 2013 after beginning his career with the Red Sox and Astros. He spent the 2014 season with the A's as well before returning to Houston in 2015. After that, it was back to the green and gold from 2016-2018.
Lowrie then signed a two-year deal with the Mets, but injuries limited him to just nine games with New York and forced him to miss the entire 2020 season. The 38-year-old returned to the A's once again last season, where he put together a respectable comeback campaign, hitting .245/.318/.398 with 14 home runs and 69 RBI.
The A's re-signed Lowrie in March, but he hit just .180/.245/.263 with three home runs and 16 RBI over 50 games before being released.
Lowrie has played in 876 total games for the Athletics, hitting .262/.333/.403 over seven seasons. He added 77 home runs and 405 RBI.
“The number of years I’ve spent in this uniform, in recent history, I don’t know how many guys played seven seasons here," Lowrie said Wednesday, per MLB.com's Martín Gallegos. "The A’s mean something to me.”
Lowrie added that he would like to continue his career but is "at peace" if that doesn't happen.
The A's recalled pitcher JP Sears, selected outfielder Cal Stevenson and placed righty Paul Blackburn on the injured list when they designated Lowrie for assignment.
Sears, acquired in the pre-deadline trade that sent Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Yankees, made his A's debut on Wednesday. The southpaw threw 5.1 innings of two-run ball against the Angels.
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