ST. PETERSBURG — Injuries have limited Rays outfielder Josh Lowe to playing in 32 of Tampa Bay's 81 games this season.
When he's healthy, Lowe sees the ball as well as any hitter in the lineup. He has 11 hits in his last ten games, including three home runs.
Lowe credits some of his results at the plate with his success — and sometimes lack of success — on the golf course.
"For me, I think there’s a little more of a sequence and timing that goes into a golf swing," Lowe said in the Rays clubhouse. "I think for me, that helps me slow down my thoughts and my baseball swing."
Some players shy away from playing golf during the season because they think it affects their baseball swing, but Lowe has the opposite approach.
"You have to be kind of short to the golf ball and short to the baseball in the swing, as well," Lowe added. "You also get the good extension through a golf ball and a baseball swing. So those things are pretty similar."
A handful of Rays players try to play golf during road trips whenever they get the chance. Lowe joked that he'd like to have pitcher Zach Eflin, pitcher Ryan Pepiot, and catcher Ben Rortvedt on his team if he had to pick a foursome.
"I would like Pepiot," Lowe said while surveying the clubhouse. "He hits the ball a long way."
Pepiot said the felling is mutual. He quickly added that he owes Lowe a little payback from their last golf outing in Minnesota.
"The last time I played against J-Lo, he took money out of my pocket," Pepiot recalled with a grin. "I had a lot of money coming to my pocket, and he decided to double-down on the last hole and decided to smoke a drive right down the middle and put a 3-wood to like ten feet- from like 300 yards out. So, I owe him."
Having a fun story always makes golfing better, and Pepiot said he'll never say no to a round with his teammates, or anyone else.
"It’s just fun to get away. You spend a lot of time with the guys in the clubhouse, on the field," he added. "Probably spend more time with the guys here than they do with their own families. Just being able to get away and do things that are fun outside of baseball… it brings everybody closer together."
"Just another place to go and clear your head space and get on the golf course," Lowe explained. "It’s relaxing out there, just enjoying it with my teammates."
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