Brandon Lowe out of the lineup Friday

Rays' third baseman dealing with lower back tightness

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Brandon Lowe has been scratched from Friday's lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays due to lower back tightness, according to manager Kevin Cash.

Lowe was originally set to bat third and play third base in the series opener against the Blue Jays, but he was replaced by Isaac Paredes in the lineup. Cash said that Lowe is day-to-day with the injury and that the team is hopeful that he will be able to return to the lineup soon.

Lowe has been one of the Rays' most consistent hitters this season, batting .290 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs in 81 games. He is also tied for the team lead in stolen bases with 13.

The Rays are already without shortstop Wander Franco, who is on the injured list with a quadriceps strain. The team is also dealing with injuries to pitchers Shane Baz (elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (elbow), and outfielder Manuel Margot (knee).

Despite the injuries, the Rays are still in contention for the American League East title. They are currently 5.5 games behind the first-place New York Yankees with 27 games remaining in the regular season.