ARLINGTON — It's just spring training time for Nathaniel Rowe.
The Texas Rangers first baseman took live batting practice Tuesday for the first time since injuring his oblique muscle a month ago. He could begin what amounts to a repeat of spring training as early as Thursday, beginning a much longer rehab stint. Lowe said he was ready for a rehabilitation mission that could last up to three weeks. In effect, he will get an entire spring training's worth of at-bats (about 30 to 40 at-bats) in a shorter period of time.
“We'll do whatever we have to do,” Lowe said. “Even if it's two or three weeks, it's important to play every day and get to the plate. In spring training, you don't really get better until you get to the plate every day.”
Typically, players play every other day at the start of spring training and don't play regularly until about two weeks left in the season.
Lowe played batting practice against several pitchers brought in from Double-A Frisco.
“It was like early spring training as far as pitch recognition and seeing the ball,” Lowe said. “But it felt good. There were some pitches that I swung through, and there were some check swings that made me nervous. And I didn't feel anything.”
In Lowe's absence, Jared Walsh and Ezequiel Duran split time at first base. Duran made his second start in his first 11 games on Tuesday against Oakland left-hander Alex Wood.
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