No one could expect that Jed Lowrie would come out of the gates swinging a hot bat. It has been over two years since he had received regular playing time due to his ongoing injury issues, and naturally, he was expected to struggle. That was the case thus far in spring training, as he had only drawn one walk while striking out twice in nine plate appearances.
Lowrie started to show signs of life on Tuesday. He finally notched his first hit of the spring, taking Madison Bumgarner deep in the fourth inning. He would end the day 1-3 with that home run and a strikeout, eventually being replaced by Pete Kozma.
Jed Lowrie showing signs of life with the bat
When last we saw Lowrie with the A’s, he had posted what could arguably be called his best season in the majors. He had posted a 121 OPS+, belting 23 homers and 37 doubles while driving in 99 runs. Lowrie made his first All Star Game that year and earned the only MVP votes of his career thus far.
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Obviously, no one expects Lowrie to be that player this year. The A’s would be happy to get even league average production from him when he is ready to be a part of the lineup. That is not likely to happen by Opening Day, but he is starting to get himself back into the literal swing of things.
That is going to be the key for Lowrie as spring training continues. The A’s are going to want to see Lowrie continue to show signs that his bat is coming back to life. LIkewise, they are going to want Lowrie to stay healthy throughout the spring and that he can handle playing in the field, regardless of where he is asked to line up.
In a lot of ways, Lowrie is the ultimate wild card for Oakland. The A’s are currently counting on the same platoon of Tony Kemp and Chad Pinder as their starting tandem at second base. If Lowrie can stay healthy and show that he has anything left in the bat, he could take over when he is healthy.
Jed Lowrie is starting to show signs of life with the bat. If he can stay healthy and be productive, he could get his chance sooner than expected.