For the majority of the 2019 season, Tampa Bay Rays rookie second baseman Brandon Lowe was the frontrunner for American League Rookie of the Year.
However, Lowe's season took a turn for the worse when he suffered a bone bruise after fouling a ball off his shin on July 2. After eventually ramping up baseball activities and beginning a rehab assignment, Lowe experienced another setback when he sustained a strained quad.
The expectation was that Lowe would miss — at the very least — the remainder of the regular season, but the Rays have activated Lowe for the final seven games:
#Rays actívate Brandon Lowe from the injured list. To make room on the 40-man roster, Kean Wong has been designated for assignment.
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) September 22, 2019
Tampa Bay enters play on Sunday just one game ahead of the Cleveland Indians for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. But given Lowe is returning to the lineup and both Blake Snell and Yonny Chirinos have returned to the rotation, there is reason for optimism.
Lowe was one of the most productive hitters for the Rays in the first half, slashing .276/.339/.523 with 16 homers in his first 76 games. Despite a 33 percent strikeout rate, Lowe has still produced a .358 wOBA and a 128 wRC+ value, according to FanGraphs.
The Rays acquired veteran infielder Eric Sogard at the trade deadline to compensate for Lowe's absence, and now they have even more versatility in the infield. Shortstop Willy Adames has been superb in the second half, and Sogard is still one of the more reliable contact hitters in baseball.
Tampa Bay has two games left each against the Red Sox and Yankees before concluding its season with a three-game set against the Blue Jays.
With Lowe back in the fold, the sense of urgency is very real as the Rays hope to stave off the Indians.
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