Josh

Lowe

Lowe broke things open for the Angels in the second inning when he took Mike Burrows deep for a three-run shot, putting the Angels up 4-1. Lowe, who also doubled in this one, hit just 11 homers in 396 at-bats last season but does have one 20 homer season on his resumé. He could have some fantasy upside in deeper leagues, especially if he sees some base-stealing opportunities.

He also swiped his first base of the spring. Lowe is 5-for-17 with a homer and nine RBI in five games since returning from his mild oblique injury. One of the game’s best percentage basestealers, Lowe could offer some mixed-league value if he does enough running this year. He’ll be hitting in the bottom half of the Angels order, so there will be little reason for him to hold back.

It’s an encouraging sign to see Lowe driving the ball with authority after missing multiple weeks with an oblique issue earlier in camp. The 28-year-old corner outfielder will get a couple additional games under his belt in the coming days and should be a full-go for next week’s season opener.

Lowe returns to Los Angeles’ lineup for the first time since suffering a left oblique injury back in late February. The 28-year-old corner outfielder has expressed optimism about being ready for Opening Day, and his return to game action suggests he’s absolutely trending in that direction. He’s a late-round option for fantasy purposes given his checkered injury history.

Lowe has been sidelined for two weeks with some oblique discomfort, but he has been hitting in the cages already. The Angels plan to let him hit in minor league games this weekend so that he can “load up on at-bats in those games.” They are currently expecting him to be ready for Opening Day, and he could be a major value in redraft leagues at the moment since this oblique injury has caused his ADP to drop near pick 300.

Lowe was diagnosed with an oblique injury on the final day of February, but Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said the team was just being extra cautious with Lowe, given his previous oblique injuries. The 28-year-old should likely progress to hitting in the cage and then off live batting practice before returning to spring games. He seems on track for Opening Day.

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters Lowe, who has been plagued by right oblique issues the past two seasons with the Rays, is being given a few additional days off from Cactus League action out of an abundance of caution due to side discomfort. The fact that these have been recurring problems for Lowe in the past makes it a situation fantasy managers should be monitoring closely in the run up to next month’s season opener. The 28-year-old downplayed concern while speaking with reporters citing that his previous oblique issues are unrelated to this instance. There should be some additional clarity on his status if he’s unable to return to spring contests in the near future.

Burke was then flipped from the Rays to the Reds for infielder Gavin Lux. Lowe has flashed dynamic ability over four seasons with the Rays but has struggled to keep himself off the injured list. The 27-year-old outfielder should be the Angels’ regular centerfielder against right-handed pitching at a minimum and he still possesses the tantalizing fantasy upside that led to a 20-homer, 32-steal campaign in 2023.

The Rays would seem to be giving up some upside here, but the 27-year-old Lowe just hasn’t shown the same ability the last two years that he did in 2023. In his place comes Lux, who showed very little power last year but can provide on-base ability and fit at second. This trade seems like good news for Chandler Simpson, as a left-handed bat has been removed from the outfield mix. It’s also good for Sal Stewart in Cincinnati, not that Stewart really should have been blocked by Lux for infield or DH at-bats. Lowe will probably get to step in as the Angels’ center fielder against right-handers, and he still might have some mixed-league value with his stolen base ability.

Injuries limited Lowe to just 108 games in 2025, and he has now played under 110 games in each of the last two seasons. He also slashed just .220/.283/.366 with 11 home runs and 18 steals in 435 plate appearances, which were mostly against right-handed pitchers. Lowe has the raw tools to be a real difference-maker, but he’ll be 28 years old when the season begins and needs to start putting them together consistently.