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Jed Lowrie starting to slow down for Oakland A’s

By David Hill

May 7, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Jed Lowrie (8) warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
May 7, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Jed Lowrie (8) warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jed Lowrie was one of the greatest stories in baseball over the first few weeks of the 2021 season. After appearing in just nine games over the past two seasons, and signing a minor league deal with the Oakland A’s, he emerged as the A’s starting second baseman.

Amazingly, he hit the ground running, not showing any rust from that layoff whatsoever. Lowrie had produced a .296/.3367/.507 batting line over the first three weeks of the season, hitting three homers and six doubles. Second base, which had been a major question mark entering the season, was suddenly solidified by one of the unlikeliest sources.

Jed Lowrie slowing down for Oakland A’s

Nothing lasts forever, and that includes Lowrie’s impressive production at the start of the season. He has begun to slow down, with a .219/.286/.297 batting line since April 24. He has just five doubles in those 70 plate appearances, drawing six walks while striking out 17 times.

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It was inevitable that Lowrie would slow down. He has appeared in 38 of the A’s 41 games entering Sunday, an impressive total for someone who was barely able to get on the diamond over the past two years. Even though he is healthy, he is simply not used to playing this much anymore after those lost seasons.

This is clearly taking a toll on his production. He is worn down, the speed in the bat having decreased just a bit. His legs are not quite as fresh anymore which has to be expected. Even if we ignore how little he played over the past two seasons due to injury, Lowrie is 37 years old, and just may not be able to handle this much of a workload any longer.

Fortunately, he is healthy. This is not a matter of Lowrie battling some nagging injury and trying to fight through the pain. Instead, he needs a couple of days off, a chance to rest and clear his mind. Playing Lowrie less could result in far more production going forward.

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Jed Lowrie is slowing down. Considering how often the Oakland A’s have been inserting him in the lineup, this regression has to be expected.