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Oakland A’s giving Jed Lowrie look at first base

By David Hill

Sep 21, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Jed Lowrie (8) hits a double against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Jed Lowrie (8) hits a double against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /
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There are plenty of openings on the Oakland A’s roster. In theory, when Jed Lowrie was brought back, the A’s had solidified second base, returning to a platoon between he and Tony Kemp. That pair was successful last year, and as Lowrie was able to return on a budget friendly deal, there was no reason to change those plans.

But the A’s also have other openings on the roster. The outfield is a giant question mark, which could necessitate Kemp seeing plenty of action in left. First base is another issue, albeit one with several candidates vying for the starting role.

Jed Lowrie getting looks at first base

And now, Lowrie can be added to the mix for first base. The A’s gave him four innings at the position on Wednesday, adding another position to his resume. This will, presumably, give the A’s more versatility when it comes to determining their lineup going forward.

First base is not entirely foreign to Lowrie. He does have 28 innings of experience over 11 games at the position. However, he also has not made an appearance at first during a regular season game in over a decade – September 6, 2011 to be exact. It will take some time for him to get used to the new-ish position.

It makes sense that the A’s would want to find ways to keep his bat in the lineup as much as possible. Although he faded late last season, Lowrie still produced a solid .245/.318/.398 batting line over his 512 plate appearances with 14 homers and 28 doubles. That performance was all the more impressive considering that he had just eight plate appearances in the previous two seasons combined.

Next. What to know about Ryan Cusick. dark

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The Oakland A’s are giving Jed Lowrie reps at first base during spring training. He may have a new position to add to his resume as the year progresses.