Nationals boot Lowe to make room for Crews’ return

First baseman Nathaniel Lowe hit a grand slam on Wednesday in what was most likely his final game with the Washington Nationals.

They designated him for assignment on Thursday and reinstated rookie outfielder Dylan Crews from the 60-day injured list. 

Crews had been sidelined since May with a left oblique injury. 

The 29 other MLB teams could choose to claim Lowe off waivers. If he goes unclaimed, the Nationals could assign him to the minor leagues, though Lowe could reject the assignment and opt to become a free agent. 

If the first baseman goes unclaimed, the Nationals will remain responsible for his $10.3 million salary. The Nationals, who rallied for a 3-2 win Thursday over the Philadelphia Phillies, are looking toward the future at 49-72. 

Lowe, a former Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner with the Texas Rangers, was the Nationals’ biggest offseason acquisition. Washington sent reliever Robert Garcia to Texas in the trade. 

The 30-year-old Lowe was the highest-paid player on this season’s roster for the Nationals. He was slated to hit arbitration again this offseason with the potential to become a free agent before the 2027 campaign. 

Lowe never reached his potential in Washington. He maintained a career-worst .216 batting average with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in 119 appearances. His underwhelming offensive output — by far the worst of his seven-year career — culminated in an abysmal -0.7 wins above replacement. According to FanGraphs, Lowe ranked 160th among 161 qualified hitters in the advanced stat. 

For his career, Lowe is hitting .263 with 105 homers, 397 RBIs and 384 runs scored in 805 games for the Rays, Rangers and Nationals

With Lowe gone, the first baseman spot will likely fall to veteran Josh Bell. Bell, who turned 33 on Thursday, has started six games at first base this season. He has predominantly been used as a designated hitter this season, only hitting the field when Lowe needed a rest day. 

Bell’s batting has been only slightly more promising than Lowe’s, with a .232 average and 15 homers on the year. 

Two weeks ago, Bell was on the trade block. Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo said he tried to trade the slugger and fellow infielder Paul DeJong — they are both on expiring contracts — but “nothing came together.”

DeJong and catcher Riley Adams also fielded ground balls before games against the San Francisco Giants last week, according to the Washington Post. Interim manager Miguel Cairo confirmed that DeJong, who has also played shortstop and third base this season, would be the Nationals’ backup first baseman for the rest of the year.

DeJong has not played first base in the majors, minors or college.

Crews returns to the Nationals after a 13-game rehab stint with Triple-A Rochester, where he hit .244 (10 for 41) with two homers and seven RBIs. The 23-year-old Crews was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain on May 21. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on July 22.

Before the injury, the 2023 first-round pick led all rookies in home runs and stolen bases. His .196 average in 45 games this season was underwhelming, though. He has 15 RBIs and 11 steals.

Crews was in the starting lineup for Thursday’s game, batting second and playing right field. Crews went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Cairo also noted that he’ll rotate his five promising young outfielders between the three spots for the last six weeks of the season. All-Star James Wood will split time between left field and designated hitter. Crews, defensive specialist Jacob Young and rookies Robert Hassell III and Daylen Lile will cycle through the remaining spots. Lile had the game-winning RBI in Wednesday’s win over the Royals. 

Young stayed in center field on Thursday as Crews moved to right field and Lile took the left field position. Wood took a day off from defense, taking Bell’s spot as designated hitter. 

This article is based in part on wire service reports.