After a long year and a half, Jed Lowrie can finally participate in all baseball activities. The 36-year old only appeared in nine games for the New York Mets in 2019 and could not spend any time in the field. Most of the time, we have seen Lowrie with the Mets, he wears leg braces reminiscent of Forrest Gump’s.
Indisputable evidence of Jed Lowrie existing. pic.twitter.com/r4YahvfqhP
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 3, 2020
Lowrie went through a series of different workouts on Sunday, and Mets manager Luis Rojas gave him the thumbs up to move on without the leg brace. This is the first time in 2020 that he goes through baseball activities without the 3/4 brace. Rojas says the Mets will be very cautious going forward due to the extensive injuries Lowrie suffered.
Anything is Better Than Nothing
Lowrie signed a two-year/$20 million deal before 2019. Combining a “kinetic chain” of leg injuries along with his contract and the Mets had someone who was untradable during the offseason. Lowrie gives the Mets value as their only switch hitter and someone who plays all four positions in the infield.
Even if Lowrie is fully healthy for opening day, Andres Gimenez or Eduardo Nunez likely join him on the roster as insurance plans. Gimenez sticks if they need him long term, and Nunez stays if they needed him for 1-2 weeks. The last time Lowrie was fully healthy, he made his first All-Star team, and they would be happy to get even 75% of that contribution in 2020.