Brandon Lowe could rejoin Rays as soon as Monday against Red Sox
TORONTO — Brandon Lowe could rejoin the Rays as soon as Monday.
The second baseman and left-handed power hitter, who has been sidelined since early April with a right oblique strain, is set to restart his rehab assignment by playing for Triple-A Durham on Saturday and Sunday.
“If all goes well, I think there’s a chance we’re looking to activate him when we get home (on Monday),” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Lowe may not be the only addition when the Rays open a nine-game, 11-day homestand next week that features visits by the Red Sox, Royals and A’s.
Right-hander Ryan Pepiot, sidelined since being struck by a line drive in his May 5 start, threw 46 pitches over three simulated innings Friday at Rogers Centre and looked good. Assuming he feels good the next few days, he is expected to slot back into the rotation Tuesday or Wednesday.
Reliever Chris Devenski, out since late April due to right knee tendinitis, started a rehab assignment Friday with Durham, allowing one hit in a 15-pitch inning. Cash said the Rays are still deciding whether to build him up for multi-inning duty, which would require a longer rehab.
How the Rays make room for Lowe will be interesting. But Cash said having him back could mean “a lot,” similar to the boost they got with rightfielder Josh Lowe’s return on May 6.
“I think we’ve seen the effects of getting Josh back, the success he’s had at the plate,” Cash said. “But I saw firsthand the other day, whoever was on the mound completely pitched around (Josh Lowe) to get to Randy (Arozarena). Now that’s not going to last for long, because Randy’s trending in the right direction. But it’s a presence in our lineup, and certainly a left-handed presence, that maybe we have not had with his type of track record.”
Brandon Lowe has played only eight games this season, hitting .185 (5-for-27) with one homer, four RBIs and a .600 OPS. He played four games for Durham from May 7-12 before his rehab was paused. Lowe was checked by a specialist, who said he was healing and could play to tolerance.
Snyder takes blame for mound-visit issue
Pitching coach Kyle Snyder said the mound-visit controversy Thursday in Boston was “100%” his fault.
In short, he forgot that catcher Ben Rortvedt made one trip to the mound in the seventh (to avoid a pitch clock violation that would gave assessed a ball against Garrett Cleavinger) and another in the ninth. Combined with two of his own earlier, they exhausted the Rays’ game allotment of four.
Also factors, Snyder said, were several new rules: The reduction from five visits to four, the circumstances to get a fifth, and making crossing the foul line count as a visit, preventing Snyder from turning back when he realized his mistake.
So when Snyder headed onto the field later in the ninth, he put them over, forcing reliever Jason Adam to be taken out. After the extended debate and ruling, Erasmo Ramirez came in to get the final out of the 7-5 win.
Snyder said he “appreciated” Cash taking the blame in postgame interviews, but “he had zero to do with that.”
Miscellany
Isaac Paredes extended his career-high on-base streak to 16 with a second-inning walk. ... The Rays got to their Toronto hotel at close to 4 a.m. after traveling from Boston following the long night game there. .... Josh Lowe, whose father, David, was a Navy pilot for 20 years, was excited to wear the Armed Forces Weekend caps and other gear: “We get to go out and play this awesome game because of the sacrifices that people like my dad made for this country, and we shouldn’t ever take that for granted.” ... Renovations to the Rogers Centre reduced foul territory by about 3,000 square feet. ... Zach Eflin on Saturday will make his second career start in Toronto, first since 2016.
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