New York Mets infielder Jed Lowrie has begun to face live hitters as he ramps up his rehab to attempt to rejoin the team.
New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen signed Jed Lowrie in January in an attempt to bolster the team’s infield depth. Lowrie injured his knee early in Spring Training, and the team brought him along slowly in an attempt to have him ready for opening day.
The plan that was put into place to have Lowrie back by opening day worked so well that as of Aug. 14 he has appeared in the exact same number of Mets games as this writer. Namely, zero. The team has played coy with the nature of Lowrie’s injury so much that Mickey Callaway had to confirm to WFAN’s Evan Roberts that Lowrie “exists.”
While it hasn’t been a good start to Lowrie’s Mets tenure (or a start of any kind for that matter), there is hope that he’ll return. Van Wagenen said that Lowrie has begun to face live pitching, per Danny Abriano of SNY.
According to Van Wagenen, Lowrie is “running, hitting, and fielding ground balls.”
Abriano adds that Lowrie has also “recently started facing live pitching during simulated games.”
While it will still take time for Lowrie to work himself into shape, it’s possible that he’ll be able to play in some minor league rehab games before the minor league season ends.
When asked whether Lowrie would play this season, Van Wagenen wouldn’t commit but added that “again, there’s optimism.” The good news is the team won’t need him to rush him back as a result of the injury to Jeff McNeil, as he only has a mild hamstring strain.
Lowrie has spent 12 seasons in the MLB, recording a slash of .262/.335/.414 with 104 home runs and 509 RBIs. He made his first All-Star team last season with the Oakland Athletics. He’s played mostly shortstop in his career, with 508 games at the position. He has also played 412 at second, 145 at third, and 11 at first base.
The team would love it if he can come back and lend some versatility and length to the lineup for the stretch run as they push for a playoff spot.
