BALTIMORE -- There was never any desire for Ji-Man Choi -- or any player, for that matter -- to go on the injured list, but the timing of Choi’s left ankle sprain perhaps could not have come at a more manageable time.

Choi was activated before Saturday’s doubleheader against the Orioles, and all told, he missed just six games due in part to the timing of the All-Star break. And the infielder, who was slotted as the designated hitter for the fifth time this season in Saturday's Game 1, used his extended break from play not just to rest physically but also reset mentally.

“First half, I thought I did OK,” Choi, who is slashing .266/.351/.423 with nine homers and 33 RBIs, said through an interpreter. “I thought I could have done better, and the second half I know I need to improve myself. It’s not a specific thing I can say, it’s everything that I need to improve on overall.”

And the timing of Choi’s ailment also gave manager Kevin Cash the chance to give an extended look at Nate Lowe, who has done nothing but impress since becoming a nightly starter in Choi’s place.

Lowe was 4-for-5 with a homer, double and three RBIs in Friday’s blowout win over Baltimore. The 24-year-old has a homer in three of his past four games, forcing his way to start at first base in Game 1.

“Today, just kept Nate in the lineup to keep him in the flow of the game,” Cash said of Lowe, who is hitting .291/.355/.509 in 62 plate appearances. “Don’t want to interrupt anything. If him playing first helps his bat stay hot, we’ll continue to do that.”

But it’s a good problem for Cash to have, with the logjam in his infield. For now, Lowe and Choi will split first base and designated-hitter duties, with others getting the chance to slot in at the latter position when appropriate. Cash said he also may give Lowe a look at third base, where he’s appeared occasionally in the Minors.

“It’s not the worst thing in the world to have some movement,” Cash said. “[Avisail Garcia] could use a day here and there, get [Austin] Meadows out there, [Tommy] Pham could use a day. We’ve run these guys hard. I know they just had the break, but it is July and August in the dead heat of the summer. It’s not the worst thing to give guys a day off here and there.”

In a corresponding move, the Rays optioned right-handed reliever Ian Gibaut to Triple-A Durham after their No. 24 prospect pitched two innings during his Major League debut amid Friday's win.

Reliever acquired from Texas

The Rays announced Saturday they have acquired right-handed reliever Peter Fairbanks from the Rangers in exchange for Minor League infielder/outfielder Nick Solak. Fairbanks will be assigned to Triple-A Durham, and infielder Christian Arroyo (right forearm tendinitis) was transferred to the 60-day injury list to make room on the 40-man roster.

Fairbanks, 25, was selected to the Rangers’ big league roster on June 8, pitching in 8 2/3 innings across eight appearances before being optioned on July 3. He struggled to a 9.35 ERA in those outings, but he did so featuring a 15.58 K/9 ratio and a fastball that topped at 99.3 mph.

Solak was acquired in the 2018 three-team deal that saw Steven Souza Jr. shipped to the D-backs. The former second-round pick of the Yankees was ranked the Rays’ No. 12 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and hit .266/.353/.485 with 13 doubles, 17 home runs and 47 RBIs in 85 games for Durham this season.

Worth noting

• Meadows (food poisoning) was back in the starting lineup for Game 1 but will most likely be given Game 2 off, Cash said. Meadows was removed from Friday’s win in the third inning to get some time to rest, but he arrived at the ballpark Saturday feeling better.

• Infielder Matt Duffy (left hamstring discomfort) went 1-for-5 with three RBIs in nine innings at designated hitter for Triple-A Durham on Friday, a day after going hitless in seven innings. Cash says Duffy, who is “champing at the bit” and still yet to appear in the Majors this season, will most likely see 25-30 rehab at-bats before being re-evaluated.

• Utility man Daniel Robertson’s rehab from having surgery to remove a loose body from his right knee is progressing quickly. Cash said Robertson, who hasn’t appeared since June 19, could soon move onto a rehab assignment in the next week or so.