Drew

Rasmussen

The move doesn’t come as a surprise as Rasmussen is expected to miss most — if not all — the upcoming 2024 season. Rasmussen underwent surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow last July. This offseason, the Rays and the 28-year-old righty settled on a one-year, $1.86 million contract to avoid arbitration. The roster move frees up a spot for the Rays to sign infielder Amed Rosario to a one-year deal and they now have their 40-man roster set heading into the first set of spring training games.

Rasmussen wound up missing the majority of the 2023 season after undergoing surgery in July to repair the UCL in his right elbow. He’s also expected to miss most — if not all — of the 2024 campaign while recovering from the procedure. He remains under contract with the Rays through the 2026 season and will be eligible for arbitration once again next winter.

The Rays were decimated by injuries during the 2023 season — especially in their starting rotation with McClanahan, Springs, Baz and Rasmussen all suffering major injuries. McClanahan underwent his Tommy John surgery in late August and is expected to miss the entire 2024 season while recovering.

Rasmussen hoped he could avoid surgery, but that was not the case. He will undergo an internal brace procedure, and it will be the third major surgery on his elbow. The procedure will end his season prematurely, and he will also miss the start of the following year as well. The talented 27-year-old had a 2.62 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 47/11 K/BB ratio across 44 2/3 innings this season.

It’s absolutely shocking news, especially considering that Rasmussen is coming off seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts Thursday against the Yankees. That he’s already been placed on the 60-day injured list is a very bad sign. Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander told reporters Rasmussen will be shut down from throwing for at least eight weeks. It’s hard not to think about the possibility of Tommy John surgery after Jeffrey Springs suffered that very fate last month after getting off to a hot start. The Rays have the best record in the majors at 30-9 and they might need all of that early breathing room.

It was a dominant performance and Rasmussen arguably didn’t need to be pulled as he was only at 76 pitches. Staked to an 8-0 lead, the Rays decided to err on the side of caution. Rasmussen lowered his ERA to 2.62 and his WHIP to 1.05. Currently expected to oppose the struggling Mets next Wednesday, Rasmussen should continue rolling.

Rasmussen scattered two hits, recorded six strikeouts and only issued a pair of walks in a strong effort against an injury-depleted Yankees’ lineup. The 27-year-old righty departed in line for a win, but Tampa Bay’s typically reliable bullpen wound up coughing up the lead. He’ll carry a stellar 3.11 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 40/11 K/BB ratio across 37 2/3 innings (seven starts) into a rematch against the Yankees on Thursday in New York.

Rasmussen was in control his first couple times through the Astros’ lineup, limiting them to just four baserunners through four frames before coughing up five runs on six hits in the fifth inning. He finished with five strikeouts and only issued a pair of walks. The 27-year-old righty will carry a strong 3.33 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 31/9 K/BB ratio across 27 innings (five starts) into a road tilt on Sunday against the White Sox.

For the third time in four starts, Rasmussen could cruise after getting handed a nice early lead by the Rays. He was lifted after just 78 pitches today. He’s now 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA. He’ll have a tougher assignment against Houston next.

The right-hander struggled badly with his command in this one, issuing four free passes while striking out four. He served up a leadoff home run to George Springer to start the game and allowed an RBI double to Bo Bichette in the second. That was the extent of the damage until the fifth, where Rasmussen issued a pair of bases-loaded walks before exiting. He got 10 whiffs on 93 pitches in the ballgame, posting a CSW of 22 percent. He’ll see if he can get back on track as he carries a 2.60 ERA and 0.87 WHIP into Wednesday’s matchup against the Reds in Cincinnati.