Rays activate 2B Brandon Lowe, place RHP Zach Eflin on IL

Brandon Lowe will be in the lineup for the first time in more than six weeks when the Tampa Bay Rays face the Boston Red Sox on Monday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Lowe was activated prior to the game to play second base and bat cleanup. The 29-year-old last played April 7 due to a right oblique injury.

Lowe, a 2019 All-Star, was 5-for-27 with a home run and four RBIs in eight games before the injury.

Tampa Bay also placed right-hander Zach Eflin (back) on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Sunday, and optioned right-hander Manuel Rodriguez to Triple-A Durham. Left-hander Richard Lovelady, acquired from the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, was added to the active roster.

Eflin, 30, pitched six innings on Saturday and gave up four runs and nine hits in a 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Eflin, who was Tampa Bay's Opening Day starter, is 3-4 with a 4.12 ERA in 10 starts this season.

Rodriguez, 27, was 1-1 with a 2.79 ERA in nine relief appearances for the Rays.

Lovelady, 28, went 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in seven relief appearances for Chicago.