Jed Lowrie is the ultimate wild card for the Oakland A’s. The battle to be the starting second baseman is wide open at this point, without a clear leader. While Tony Kemp has impressed thus far in spring training, he did the same last year before faltering once the regular season began.
The issue with projecting Lowrie for any type of role is that he has yet to make his debut for the A’s in spring training. That could be changing as he is expected to see his first game action on Tuesday, barring any setbacks.
Jed Lowrie could make his 2021 Oakland A’s debut soon
Obviously, there is that setback and injury caveat when it comes to Lowrie. He has played just nine games in the past two seasons, all of which came in 2019. Lowrie also underwent knee surgery in October in an attempt to once again return to health.
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There is no question that Lowrie can be an asset for the A’s if he is healthy. He has posted a solid .261/.335/.413 batting line in exactly 4500 plate appearances, hitting 104 homers and 259 doubles. Lowrie has also been reasonably solid at second, third, and short defensively over his career, providing the type of versatility that the A’s covet.
But it is a question of actually keeping Lowrie healthy. The A’s have done a good job of that in the past, as the only four seasons where he appeared in at least 100 games were in an Oakland uniform. But he is 37 years old now, and those injuries are going to continue adding up.
Even if he is healthy, it would make sense for the A’s to be cautious with Lowrie to begin the season. He could end up in a soft platoon with Kemp, at least at the start of the year, to keep from pushing him too hard too soon. Then, if his health holds up, Lowrie could take over as the primary second baseman.
The first step for Jed Lowrie to make an impact upon the 2021 Oakland A’s will be to get on the diamond. That could happen as soon as Tuesday.