Two rocky seasons behind him, Josh Lowe ready to prove he's back to form

ST. PETERSBURG -- When the Rays took the field on Opening Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field this past season, they had every reason to believe this year would bring a bounce-back season for Josh Lowe.

He had moved past a frustrating, injury-riddled 2024 season. He had a tremendous Spring Training camp. He looked and felt good. It was all set up for the athletic right fielder to enjoy a strong season, more like his excellent 2023 campaign than ’24 had been.

Then, in his second at-bat of the season, Lowe sustained a right oblique strain and left the game. He didn’t get back on the field until May 15, and by the end of September, his numbers were no better -- and in some cases worse -- than the year before.

Now, once again, the Rays are counting on Lowe to bounce back.

“He is as accountable as anyone. He’s gotten after it this offseason. And you’ve seen a proof of concept, right?” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said during the Winter Meetings. “His ‘23 and what he provided, there’s no reason he can’t be that player again.

“Just a couple years of things getting sideways, and then sometimes just on the fly when you can't find it, it compounds. But we appreciate him. He's worked his tail off this offseason, which is no surprise.”

The Rays have a tremendous level of compassion for and belief in Lowe, the 27-year-old they selected in the first round of the 2016 Draft. They’ve seen him grow up on and off the field, they’ve shared in his frustrations over ill-timed injuries, and they’ve stood by his family as they faced his mother’s battle with brain cancer.

They don’t seem ready to give up on him now, even after he posted a .230/.292/.378 slash line with 0.8 bWAR in 214 games over the past two seasons combined.

“It’s been a tough couple years. He knows that. We know that,” Neander said. “We’ve got an assortment of guys that we believe in them more than what they provided last year. Josh is one of them. But we also have to kind of be real about it, and that’s why we brought in a couple of additional options out there to create stronger competition.”

Indeed, the Rays have added to their outfield depth to potentially withstand more injuries or another inconsistent season from their projected regulars in a group that must be better for them to stay competitive in the American League East.

They brought in Jake Fraley, another left-handed-hitting corner outfielder like Lowe. They signed Cedric Mullins to play center field and traded for Jacob Melton, another potential power-speed threat from the left side of the plate. They still have Chandler Simpson, Jonny DeLuca and Richie Palacios, plus offseason acquisition Ryan Vilade.

The Rays’ outfield surplus could be resolved by injuries or trades, or it could be leveraged to get the best out of players already looking to rebound from a disappointing season. And the Rays saw Lowe at his best, or something approaching it, when he had a .292/.335/.500 slash line with 20 homers, 33 doubles, 32 steals and 83 RBIs over 135 games in 2023.

“Josh Lowe has worked his butt off to date, trying to get his body in shape, his athleticism back,” manager Kevin Cash said during the Winter Meetings. “We know the 2023 version of Josh Lowe is an extremely talented player that would help any baseball roster, and that's what we're looking forward to.”

Injuries have been the biggest issue since then. In 2024, he dealt with an offseason left hip injury that flared up in Spring Training and shut him down. He strained his right oblique when he was nearly back from that injury, then dealt with right hamstring tightness and a later recurrence of his oblique injury.

Amid all that, he struggled to find his timing at the plate. Last season brought more of the same, although he avoided the injured list after returning from his Opening Day oblique strain on May 15.

Neander noted that Lowe “just appreciates the urgency” of his situation, finding “a little more purpose” in the desire to put the past two seasons behind him and return to form.

“A little more strength in numbers out there, but if he has a good offseason and he's healthy ... last camp, he looked wonderful, right?” Neander said. “It was like, 'OK, we're back on track. We're good!' And then it's one swing, and here we go again. It stinks.

“You feel for him, but you stand behind him, you support him, and he's doing everything he can to be that version again. And we'll ride this thing out.”