TEMPE, Ariz. -- After being plagued by injuries to his right oblique over the last two seasons with the Rays, Angels outfielder Josh Lowe is being cautious after feeling some discomfort in his left oblique and is expected to be out for at least a few days.
Lowe, acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay in January, injured himself making a throw to the infield after chasing down a ball in the gap on Wednesday against the Padres. But he said it’s nowhere near as severe as his previous oblique injuries, so he’s not too concerned.
“I just made a play in the gap and threw the ball in and just felt a little tug on my left side,” Lowe said. “Baseball plays happen. Not too high [level of concern]. It’s Feb. 28, there's no point in playing superhero right now. Everything that's been portrayed to me is [that] I’ll be ready to go for the start of the season.”
Lowe first dealt with an oblique injury in March 2024, missing 42 days with a right oblique strain before returning in early May. He then aggravated the injury in late May and missed 11 more games. And in ‘25, Lowe was diagnosed with right oblique discomfort in late March and missed 47 days before getting back to action in mid-May.
Lowe, though, said those injuries were more severe and that it’s a relief that this injury isn’t a recurrence of his right oblique issues.
“The other time I got hurt, I couldn't even run to first,” Lowe said. “I'm still doing stuff today. I was running straight forward, just not doing [full workouts] with the team. Just being precautionary. Obviously, I've done my oblique in the past, other one, but if we have to take a couple extra days to make sure it’s OK, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Lowe, 28, slashed .220/.283/.366 with 11 homers, 21 doubles, 18 stolen bases and 40 RBIs in 108 games with the Rays last year. He experienced a breakout year in '23, slashing .292/.335/.500 with 20 homers and 32 stolen bases in 135 games, but then he hit .241/.302/.391 in 106 games in '24.
Lowe thinks his oblique issues led to that drop in production, and believes he’s primed for a bounce-back year with his new club. Lowe, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2016 Draft, remains under team control through 2028.
“I don't necessarily think I need to reprove anything because I've done it,” Lowe said. “That's who I envision myself as a player. But the good thing about that is I don't have to go out and just try super hard to do that because I’ve already done that. It's just a matter of going out and being myself and doing what it takes every day to go and win a game. And those numbers will show up at the end of the season.”
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said they’ll continue to be cautious with Lowe, but he is excited to see what he can do this season. Lowe is likely to see most of his time in left field after primarily being a right fielder with the Rays, but he will also see action in center and in right. Much of it will be determined by how much Mike Trout can play center field this season.
“He’s definitely got the tools and talent,” Suzuki said. “He had a great year that year [in ‘23]. I’m really excited about having him.”
Angels tidbits
• Lefty Mitch Farris said he gained 10 to 15 pounds this offseason to build strength, and it has led to an impressive increase in velocity. His fastball has averaged 93 mph in his two appearances, up from 90 mph last year as a rookie when he had a 6.66 ERA in five starts. He’s not expected to make the team but offers rotation depth.
• Veteran reliever Hunter Strickland was away from camp for a few days due to illness. He’s competing for a spot in the bullpen as a non-roster invitee and has thrown two scoreless innings this spring.
• Non-roster reliever Nick Sandlin, who underwent arthroscopic right elbow surgery in October, is close to facing hitters for the first time this spring. Sandlin, 29, has a career 3.19 ERA in parts of five seasons in the Majors and is also competing for a bullpen role.