Photo by Ed Delany, MMO
New York Mets infielder Jed Lowrie (knee capsule sprain) will begin his rehab assignment with Advanced-A St. Lucie on Sunday.
As per the St. Lucie Mets’ announcement, Lowrie, 35, is slated to hit second at play shortstop against the Florida Fire Frogs, an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.
Lowrie — signed this offseason with the plan of him spending time all over the infield — has been sidelined since the early stages of Spring Training. His addition would certainly add another dynamic to the Mets’ already-potent offense, and a welcome one at that.
Though, finding a position for him will likely prove to be a more daunting task.
The situation at first base is virtually sewn up by Pete Alonso, and the combination of Todd Frazier, J.D. Davis, and Jeff McNeil handling duties at third base leaves Jed Lowrie and his career .262/.335/.414 slash line looking for playing time any place he can find it. If that’s at shortstop, so be it.
He last played shortstop in the majors in 2016 for Oakland and owns career marks of -36 defensive runs saved and a -3.9 ultimate zone rating, but with the absence of a true backup for Amed Rosario (Jeff McNeil has been tabbed as the temporary stopgap), the organization isn’t left with much of a choice.
