ST. PETERSBURG -- When Brandon Lowe suffered a left quad injury on Aug. 22 during a rehab game in Triple-A, the initial thought was that he would miss the remainder of the season.

But after progressing better than expected and putting in work in order to strengthen his lower body and take consistent at-bats in the batting cage and on the field, the Rays activated Lowe from the 60-day injured list before Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Red Sox. He hit fifth and played second base for Tampa Bay, going 1-for-3 with a strikeout and a walk.

“To come in the locker room and know you have a shot to be playing, it’s a much different feeling than coming in knowing you’re rehabbing and you just get to watch,” Lowe said. “It’s a lot more fun.”

Lowe said his biggest motivation during his rehab was to return to the team before the postseason, while also surpassing the timeline given by the doctors at the time of his injury.

“Right when it happened, the doctors kind of gave us a timetable and with the injuries that I’ve had in the past, I’ve always looked at the doctors timetables as something I try and beat and come back quicker and stronger than what they’ve thought,” Lowe said. “Thankfully, with the staff that we have here, I’ve been able to do that and [be] back in time to try and help the team.”

Adding Lowe to the lineup will give the Rays another boost down the stretch. Lowe made his first All-Star team this season and was a top AL Rookie of the Year candidate after launching 16 home runs before suffering a deep bone bruise on his right shin on July 2.

Injuries derailed the second half of the season for Lowe, but after playing in instructional league games over the last week, the Rays felt comfortable enough to bring Lowe back into the mix.

“He’s worked hard to get back as quick as he could,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “Certainly nice to have his bat back. He’s gotten plenty of at-bats, encouraged that he’s played in an instructional league game here at [Tropicana Field] so he’s gotten at-bats in here, which is good. He had a good day yesterday, so let’s let him play.”

Lowe also faced Yonny Chirinos, who was activated on Saturday, a couple of times in live batting practice sessions in the Rays’ Spring Training facility in Port Charlotte, Fla. While Chirinos was just rehabbing, seeing live pitching from a Major League player could help make the transition back to the big leagues a bit smoother for Lowe.

“He’s seeing velo, so he should be alright,” Cash said. “He’s taken plenty of batting practice that we’ve seen. He looks the part when he’s at the plate.”

The only aspect of Lowe’s game that will be limited will be his baserunning. The Rays have been pleased with what they’ve seen at the plate and defensively, but still want Lowe to be careful running the bases. They don’t expect him to stretch out a single into a double or go first-to-third, at least at first. Cash also indicated that the team will pinch-run for Lowe when the opportunity presents itself.

“There’s obviously some things that I’m not going to do,” Lowe said. “I’m not going to bust a chopper right back at the pitcher. I’m not going to try and beat a little bouncer at the defense, but I feel good enough to go out there and give it what I got.”

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rays designated infielder Kean Wong for assignment. Wong hit .214 in six games with Tampa Bay this season.

“I credit Kean for understanding,” Cash said. “He deserved the opportunity, he helped us when we were here and did some good things, but it’s nice to have Brandon back.”

A lot of the playing time for Lowe will be determined on how his body responds and bounces back on a daily basis. But regardless, getting Lowe back in the lineup should help the Rays, who entered Sunday’s game with a one-game lead over the Indians for the second AL Wild Card spot.

“It’s definitely nice to be able to come back after getting a setback and at a time that I was very hopeful to get back to playing,” Lowe said. “It’s something to show to not let injury keep you down.”