Rangers first baseman has been diagnosed with an oblique strain that could keep him sidelined long enough that hell need to open the year on the injured list, manager Bruce Bochy announced to the Rangers beat this morning ( via MLB.coms Kennedi Landry). As Landry points out, itd be the first IL stint of the ultra-durable Lowes profe sional career. Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com that the team provided a rough, initial timetable for Lowe of three to four weeks. That generally aligns with the timeframe thats common for most oblique injuries of note; even Grade 1 strains tend to sideline players for around a month. Presumably, the Rangers will provide further updates as camp progre ses. Lowe was just lifted from Thursdays Luke Barker Jersey Cactus League game after reporting some tightne s in his side to the teams training staff. Texas has sufficient infield depth to withstand a short-term lo s of Lowe, but his subtraction from the lineup would still be a notable hit to the teams offense. While his 2023 performance (.262/.360/.414, 17 homers, 114 wRC+) wasnt nearly as strong as his outstanding breakout campaign in 2022 (.302/.358/.492, 27 homers, 141 wRC+), Lowe was still one of the most productive hitters in a stacked Rangers lineup. In the event that Lowe opens the year on the injured list, there are a number of routes the Rangers could go. Lowe has taken a whopping 94.2% of the teams plate appearances at first base over the past three seasons, so Texas hasnt needed to replace him too often. Utilityman and catcher have both seen very brief time at first base on the rare days Lowe has been given a breather. The Rangers have bat-first infield prospect in camp, and hes already on the 40-man roster, so hed also be an option to make his debut and take some reps at first base. Former Angels first baseman is also in camp as a non-roster invitee and has thus far had a big showing in an obviously limited sample (7-for-17 with a double, a homer, three walks and four strikeouts). The Rangers in a rare trade thats gone poorly for Tampa Bay at least thus far. In three seasons as Texas primary first baseman, Lowe has slashed .276/.359/.440 (122 wRC+) with 62 homers, an 11% walk rate and a 23.6% strikeout rate. Texas sent infielder , catcher and outfielder back to the Rays in that swap. Basabe made his MLB debut last year with the Rays but struggled in 31 games. Hernandez ranks 18th among Rays farmhands at Baseball America and isnt in the teams top 30 at MLB.com. Ovalles was selected by the Reds in the minor league phase of the 2023 Rule 5 Draft. Devin Williams Jersey