Josh Lowe DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe (oblique) took 20 dry swings on Saturday and did not feel any pain in his oblique. Ryan Bass of the Tampa Bay Rays reported that the outfielder hopes to begin hitting off a tee next week if he continues to progress. This is an excellent sign for the 27-year-old as he has been on the injured list since March 29 due to a right oblique strain. Fantasy managers should monitor his progress as he could face live pitching in the coming weeks if he does not face any setbacks. Before the injury, the 27-year-old appeared in just one contest and tallied one hit. Last season, Lowe was limited by injuries as well, appearing in just 106 games and posting a .241/.302/.391 slash line. When Lowe does return, he will likely have an everyday role in right field.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe (oblique) is improving nicely from a Grade 2 right-oblique strain that he suffered on Opening Day. "Josh is actually moving pretty pain free, which we're encouraged by that. It's still a ways, but we got to be happy with the way he's his body is feeling," manager Kevin Cash said. Lowe still has a ways to go before the Rays think about activating him from the IL, but so far he's making good progress from an injury that sidelined him last year as well. It remains to be seen when Lowe will resume baseball activities, but it seems unlikely that we'll see him back in the big leagues before the end of April. In the meantime, given all the injuries to Tampa Bay's outfielders -- Jonny DeLuca just went on the IL on Tuesday with a shoulder ailment -- both Kameron Misner and Jake Mangum will see regular playing time for the Rays.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed outfielder Josh Lowe (oblique) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right-oblique strain and recalled outfielder Jake Mangum from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. Lowe strained his oblique on a single up the middle in the team's Opening Day win over the visiting Colorado Rockies on Friday and will probably not be ready to return from the IL when he's eligible. The 27-year-old is worth stashing in fantasy leagues where he's rostered while he heals, mainly for his stolen base prowess while he's healthy, but this is another reminder that in addition to a strikeout rate that spiked at 31.8 percent in 2024, Lowe's durability at the major-league level has been a big issue. Rookie Kameron Misner, who hit a walk-off homer on Friday for his first career long ball, is likely to start in right field in Tampa in Lowe's absence.