Nathaniel Lowe starts for Reds vs. Rangers in return to Texas

Nathaniel Lowe posted a 122 OPS+ in nearly 2600 PA for the Texas Rangers across four full seasons after coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays. In that time he was valued at 11.5 bWAR, won a Gold Glove, a World Series, and a Silver Slugger Award – the latter coming during a remarkable 2022 season in which he hit 26 homers and .302/.358/.492 (139 OPS+) in 645 PA.

He’s still just 30 years old. While his stint with the Washington Nationals to begin a 2025 season after being dealt away from the Rangers was unlike him (88 OPS+), he rebounded to hit a much more Lowe-esque .280/.370/.420 in 119 PA with the Boston Red Sox to finish the year.

He’s a pretty damn good hitter still, I believe. And the Cincinnati Reds got him for a song in free agency over the winter, as he landed on a minor league deal with an invite to spring camp and a guarantee of just over $2 million bucks if he made the big league roster – which he did.

He’s going to have a place on this roster at some point that’s more obvious and a better fit than right now, I can guarantee it. He’s a proven left-handed bat with a long, long track record of hitting well against RHP, and that’s something the Reds simply do not have on the roster in spades. Elly De La Cruz is, we know, but beyond that we’re looking at a pretty clearly post-peak TJ Friedl and…Will Benson?

So while he’s been mostly relegated to bench-bat status to begin 2026 (thanks to Sal Stewart rightfully getting run at 1B and Eugenio Suarez deserving at bats somewhere, too), Lowe’s going to fit in somehow, some way before this 162-game grind comes to a close.

Perhaps that’s in a role like where he’ll start against his old club Texas on Saturday at DH. Suarez is displacing Ke’Bryan Hayes at 3B for another game, as Hayes still searches for some semblance of offense. Despite Cincinnati oddly betting big on Hayes’ defense being able to make up for the fact that he’s been the most punchless bat in baseball for years (and the long-term contract that is on their books for it), there’s a good argument to be made that getting Suarez time at 3B and Lowe in the lineup at DH makes the Reds a better overall team than Hayes at 3B, Geno at DH, and Lowe sitting on the bench.

At least, that’s what I pretty much think, and we’ll get another look at it against RHP Kumar Rocker and the Rangers Saturday evening.

The Hayes thing is something the Reds will obviously continue to work on seeing as he’s under contract for years beyond 2026. For now, though, it’s worth finding out if the former Rangers 1B who fell in their lap for dirt cheap can make them significantly better in the short term, and that’s what we’ll get a look at today.

Here’s how Cincinnati will line up for Rhett Lowder’s second start of 2026: