DETROIT — Rays All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe said he is making daily improvement in dealing with the left side soreness that forced him out of Sunday’s game and is “feeling a lot better.”
But whether he feels good enough to return to action this weekend in Boston — and thus whether he plays in Tuesday’s All-Star Game — has yet to determined.
“Just kind of trying to treat it as cautiously as possible, just to hopefully look back at the end of it and be like, ‘Oh, we were too cautious with it,’ versus not cautious enough,” Lowe said. “Took some swings (in the batting cage Wednesday), felt good. So, we’re just moving in the right direction and just making sure that we’re doing the right thing.”
Lowe said he, manager Kevin Cash and head athletic trainer Joe Benge will meet soon to “talk things through” in balancing all issues. One factor is the eight weeks Lowe missed last season with a right oblique strain.
“It’s like trying to battle between your heart and your head about what’s smart to do versus — there’s not a guy in here if he had any ability to play that doesn’t want to be in the lineup,” Lowe said.
“So, trying to fight that urge of it, just understanding that if I miss five-six days it’s much better than eight weeks like I did last year. So, yeah, it’s honestly more of an internal battle than anything at the moment.”
Lowe has made clear his priority is getting back in the Rays lineup. But it’s also evident how much playing in the All-Star Game would mean, as he was injured and not on the active roster when he was previously selected in 2019.
“I’m going to try to be playing in Boston,” he said. “If I play in Boston, I’ll be able play in (the All-Star Game). So a lot of it, it’s kind of in that same boat, like what’s the goal? What do we need to do?
“Preferably, I’d love to wake up (Thursday) morning and feel perfect and be ready to go. So, we’re going to keep our hopes up for that one.”
Manager Kevin Cash said only that Lowe remained “day to day.”
Streaking Simpson
Chandler Simpson extended his hitting streak to 13 games, tying the Rays rookie record shared by Rocco Baldelli (2003) and Delmon Young (2007). Simpson is hitting .404 (19-for-47) during the streak.
Relief on the way?
The Rays’ beleaguered bullpen may be getting some help soon, as right-hander Manny Rodriguez started a brief rehab assignment and is on track to join them right before or just after the All-Star break.
Rodriguez, out since June 10 with a right forearm strain, was one of the Rays’ most effective relievers, posting a 2.08 ERA through 31 games. He often worked in the high-leverage situations in which they have struggled recently.
Rodriguez worked a one-hit inning Tuesday for Triple-A Durham, throwing nine of his 11 pitches for strikes and clocking at 97 mph. He is slated to pitch for the Bulls again Friday and could join the Rays for their Saturday/Sunday games in Boston or July 18 at home vs. Baltimore.
In other rehab news, top starter Shane McClanahan felt good the day after his first rehab outing for the Florida Complex League team as he recovers from a late-spring triceps nerve issue. He is slated to pitch next Sunday for Durham.
Miscellany
Closer Pete Fairbanks hit 100.2 mph with his second pitch of the ninth. … Jake Mangum was the first Ray with outfield assists in back-to-back team games since Tommy Pham in 2018. … Taylor Walls played second base for the first time since 2023, noting the change in some of the shift rules since then. … There was a surprise pregame performance, as actor John C. Reilly, after throwing out the first pitch, sang “Happy Birthday” to his friend, musician Jack White, who was sitting in a stadium suite. … The start of the game was pushed back from 1:10 p.m. to 5:10 due to a forecast for inclement weather but probably could have started close to on-time given the actual weather.
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