GOODYEAR, Ariz. — David Lowe got to Arizona on Thursday and spent the day with his son, Josh (the Los Angeles Angels outfielder). Nathaniel wasn’t able to link up with David until later in the day on Friday.

Before he was able to see his dad, Nathaniel had to give him a call. On Saturday, the Cincinnati Reds announced that Nathaniel Lowe was going to be on the Opening Day roster. Nathaniel called dad.

“He was just excited,” Nathaniel Lowe said. “He expects the best. So do I. It’s nice to get back in the flow of things and help this club win.”

They’ll meet up soon.

“It’ll be nice to celebrate and see him,” Lowe said.

This has been a difficult month for the Lowes. A couple of weeks ago, Nathaniel Lowe’s mom, Wendy, died after a 33-month battle with cancer.

Instead of going home for a few days, Nathaniel decided to stay in Goodyear as he battled for a spot on the Reds’ roster as a non-roster invite.

“I feel like she’d want me to keep going, especially in this position here where nothing is handed to me and I have to make this opportunity,” Lowe said on March 8. “She did the same thing. Nothing was handed to her. She worked hard.”

On the day that Wendy died, Nathaniel homered. It was a beautiful swing, and it was the start of Lowe getting in a rhythm this spring.

In camp with the Reds, Lowe is 10-for-37 with a .979 OPS. He worked hard and earned that roster spot.

“It’s been a challenge, but I’m very grateful for being raised around the right people,” Lowe said. “I feel prepared to take on what life is throwing at me.”

Between 2021 and 2024, Lowe was one of the most consistent first basemen in MLB. He won a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove and a World Series. He took a step back in 2025 — the big difference was the way he struggled against same-sided left-handed pitching — but joined the Red Sox in August and went on to become an impact role player on a team that made it to the postseason.

Lowe, 30 years old, put himself into what seemed to be a solid position entering free agency. But this winter, he had trouble landing the contract he was looking for. Teams are saving more spots on the 40-man roster for young guys and putting more of an emphasis on defense and base running. There was a pretty decent list of veterans like Lowe who belong in the big leagues and who profile as useful players who weren’t able to land big league contracts during the offseason.

After the start of spring training, Lowe signed a minor league deal with the Reds.

He’s happy that he did.

“It’s an easy group to get along with,” Lowe said. “It’s a group that’s trending in the right direction, so I’m happy to be able to contribute.”

About two weeks into camp, Terry Francona made a point to describe the impact he was seeing Lowe make.

Lowe has played in 21 playoff games and has been in the big leagues for seven years. He’s one of the most experienced Reds, and he has been around winning cultures with the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Red Sox.

“Really quickly, he assimilated into the culture (here) and was a part of it,” Francona said. “It’s meaningful. Guys love him. He can handle the role. The last thing you want is a guy sitting on the bench that’s tearing down the fabric as opposed to adding.”

Lowe has a lot that he can show to the Reds’ young core, but he didn’t try to force a leadership role.

“I didn’t want to come in and step on any toes,” Lowe said. “As long as I show up and do my job, I’d like to think that the game play will take care of the rest of it. I’m happy this group gave me a chance to do that.”

First, he had to make the team.

It was a bit of a slow start, but Lowe turned the corner. He can pull a fly ball a long way down the line, and he has great strike zone judgement. He says his spring training this year was “pretty solid.”

“I like the way the ball is coming off (my bat),” Lowe said. “There are things I want to improve on personally. Things I might not say on the record. You always have to keep pushing. As soon as you get complacent, you get lapped.”

Every year, managers and executives talk about “tough decisions” as they set the Opening Day roster. This year, the Reds truly had tough decisions. It wasn’t just talk, and there was one spot up for grabs between Lowe, Rece Hinds and JJ Bleday.

Since the Reds already had a strong bench, there weren’t going to be many starts available for this 26th player. The Reds needed a bench bat.

Lowe, a veteran, knows what to expect. While Bleday and Hinds get every day reps in Triple-A, Lowe will break camp with the Reds.

He has some experience in this style of role. Lowe began his career in Tampa Bay, and he says he sees similarities between his role on that Rays team and this Reds’ team. Lowe said the key to him having success off the bench in Tampa Bay was the consistent and effective communication he had with manager Kevin Cash and bench coach Matt Quataro.

Cash and Quataro are both from the Terry Francona managerial tree, and they both got their starts coaching in the big leagues by working under Francona.

That connective tissue is another reason why Lowe is a good match with the Reds.

“(Lowe) is a good dude, man,” Francona said. “You watch guys really warm up to him. There’s a lot to like, not just when he hits the ball that far. He just has that personality. Easy to like.”