Lowe's strong return puts TV career on pause

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry's Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- It was a strange month on the injured list for Nathaniel Lowe. He tried to keep himself busy -- be around, but not get in the way.

He would hang out in the clubhouse and get treatment with the training staff. As his workload ramped up, he did pregame infield drills with the team.

Most notably, maybe, was that Lowe made a detour to the Globe Life Field press box, trying out his play-by-play skills with Rangers announcers Dave Raymond and Dave Valle. He was rather good at it, too.

It was a learning experience for Lowe. When asked about it, though, he was very frank.

“It was kind of terrible,” Lowe said, only partly joking.

Lowe had never been on the injured list in his professional career -- from the Minors with the Rays through stints with the big league club in St. Petersburg in 2019-20 and throughout his first three seasons with the Rangers. But the wear and tear from playing 157 games in '21, 157 in '22 and 161 in '23 apparently caught up with him in Spring Training.

Lowe landed on the injured list midway through camp with a right oblique strain, missing the first 21 games of the Rangers' season. He wanted to be on the field more than anything.

“I was really just trying to find things to do during games,” Lowe said. “I took my tour of the press box and made my cameos as a play-by-play [announcer]. I didn't get to do radio -- I guess we'll leave that to my post playing career. But again, it was a learning experience of trying to figure out how to contribute but still stay out of the way. The last thing that I wanted to do was get in the way of the team's success. Now, hopefully, I can add on the right side of things.”

And Lowe has been doing just that since his return, putting his hypothetical radio career on hold.

Entering Sunday, Lowe had reached base via hit or walk in all seven games since returning from the injured list on April 19 in Atlanta. Over that time, he’s hit .280 with a .797 OPS while playing all seven games at first base.

It was much needed for a struggling Rangers team, especially because veteran Jared Walsh hasn't produced as the left-handed-hitting side of the first base-platoon in Lowe’s absence. Walsh hit .226 with one home run, two doubles and seven RBIs in 17 games for Texas, making 14 starts at first base, but he was ultimately designated for assignment following Lowe’s activation from the IL.

Lowe won a Silver Slugger Award in 2022 and a Gold Glove in '23. He often gets lost in the sauce amid a lineup filled with All-Stars, Rookie of the Year frontrunners and a World Series MVP, but Lowe is a vital part of the club as much as any of those guys.

As the Rangers' offense continues to find its stride, getting a healthy Lowe back is a step in the right direction, especially with third baseman Josh Jung (right wrist fracture) still sidelined for another four to six weeks.

“He looks good,” manager Bruce Bochy said of Lowe. “He looks really good. He missed Spring Training, but he's getting good swings off. He's pulling some balls, and he's going the other way, which he does so well. So it's good to have him back. He's one of our guys. He’s got a good eye at the plate, and he can do damage. I know the guys were excited about having him back, too.”