Nathaniel Lowe, the Rangers’ first baseman, has never been on the injured list in his professional career. However, after suffering a right oblique strain while batting, Lowe might make his disabled list debut and miss Opening Day.
According to Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, the injury will keep the 28-year-old out for at least a “little bit.” While the Rangers want to re-evaluate Lowe daily, the initial schedule is three to four weeks, depending on his improvement. Oblique muscles are crucial for core control and rotation, hence oblique injuries are common in baseball since they are stimulated during hitting and throwing. Most players with a mild strain can recover from an oblique injury within three to four weeks.
While Lowe can get lost in an infield full of All-Stars, Nathaniel has been a steady presence in the Rangers’ lineup. Throughout his Rangers career, Lowe has seldom missed a start and has appeared in all 17 World Series games. He will join fellow infielders Corey Seager (hernia) and Josh Jung (calf strain) on the sidelines for spring training.
Lowe was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays and dealt to the Rangers in 2020 after spending two seasons in Tampa. In his first three seasons with Texas, Lowe batted.276/.359/.440 with 62 home runs. Lowe received a Silver Slugger in 2022, batting.302/.358/.492/.851 with 27 home runs and 76 RBI. Nathaniel Lowe won his first Gold Glove in 2023 after playing nearly flawlessly at first base with only three errors.
While losing a Gold Glove first baseman is not ideal for any club, the Rangers have plenty of options to cover the void until Lowe returns.
