Brandon

Lowe

The homer notably came off lefty reliever JJ Romero, Lowe’s second off a southpaw this season (and eighth total). He’s only started against one of the past five lefties Pittsburgh has faced, but he hits second against all right-handers. Not much about his hitting profile has changed since being traded to the Pirates. Health willing, he’ll remain one of the top power-hitting second basemen in the league.

Lowe returns to second base and will hit second on Wednesday night against the Rangers at Globe Life Field following a two-game absence due to left knee discomfort. The 31-year-old slugger is hitting .267/.375/.600 with seven homers and 18 RBI through 19 games in his Pirates debut.

This explains why Lowe was absent from the lineup for the second straight contest despite righty Kumar Rocker taking the ball for the Rangers on Tuesday night at Globe Life Field. The 31-year-old slugging second baseman will likely receive some extra time off this week, but it doesn’t sound like a potential injured list situation based on comments from Pirates skipper Don Kelly. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. Nick Gonzales is at second base in his place on Tuesday evening.

Lowe plays against some left-handers, but he’ll get a well-deserved day off against Rays’ southpaw Shane McClanahan in this one. At least part of the day, as he’ll likely be used off the bench in a critical spot if necessary. Nick Gonzales will start in his place at second base and bat second for the Bucs. Ryan O’Hearn and Spencer Horwitz will join him on the bench in this one.

Lowe drove in five runs for the second consecutive game, delivering a two-run single in the second inning against Nationals starter Cade Cavalli before taking reliever Brad Lord deep in the sixth to cap a 10-run outburst. The 31-year-old second baseman’s Pittsburgh debut has gone swimmingly as he’s hitting .278 (15-for-54) with six homers and 14 RBI across 14 games.

Lowe’s slam came in the second inning off Jameson Taillon to give the Pirates 5-0 lead in the second inning. He got Taillon again in the sixth to extend their lead to 6-2. That’s now five homers for Lowe in his first season with the Bucs, and he’s slashing .243/.372/.592 with nine RBI. A very solid start to Lowe’s 2026.

That’s two starts in a row off for Lowe against left-handers, though one imagines he may be called on to pinch-hit later in the game. Nick Gonzales is batting fifth against LHP Shota Imanaga and the Cubs.

The Reds are throwing a left-hander, but Lowe has started against the first three left-handers the Pirates have faced. That being said, he’s also 0-for-9 with two strikeouts, so maybe giving him a few days off against left-handed pitching isn’t the worst idea. Nick Gonzales will shift over to second base with Nick Yorke playing third and batting sixth.

Lowe opened his Pirates career with one of the best series of his career, going 5-for-12 with three homers, a double and just one strikeout. He had a 149/38 K/BB in 553 plate appearances last season. Right now, he’s at 1/2.

Lowe, who was acquired from the Rays in the offseason, hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the third for his ninth career multihomer game. Obviously, his quiet spring, when he went 6-for-30 with no RBI, didn’t mean much of anything. The Pirates like him batting second in spite of his history of mediocre OBPs, and as long as that lasts, he’ll have some extra fantasy value.