The Tampa Bay Rays have announced the reinstatement of right-handed pitcher Drew Rasmussen from the 60-day injured list, signaling a significant step in his return to major league action. In a corresponding move, the Rays have optioned right-hander Joel Kuhnel to Triple-A Durham. With this transaction, the team now has 39 players on their 40-man roster, filling some of the vacancies created by their recent deadline trades.
Drew Rasmussen, now 29 years old, has been sidelined for the entire 2024 season following internal brace surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament, a procedure he underwent in July of the previous year. This is not Rasmussen’s first encounter with elbow surgeries; he has a history of undergoing Tommy John surgeries, having had two such procedures while in college.
These ongoing elbow issues have marked Rasmussen’s career with a series of challenges. The Rays originally drafted him in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft, situated between his two Tommy John surgeries. However, concerns about his physical condition led to the Rays not signing him at that time. Following a second surgery, Rasmussen returned to college, and he was subsequently drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. The Brewers signed him, and he worked his way through their minor league system.
Rasmussen made his major league debut as a reliever with Milwaukee in 2020 and 2021. In May 2021, the Rays traded for him, sending Willy Adames and Trevor Richards to the Brewers in exchange for Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen. Despite having passed up on him earlier, the Rays evidently kept a close watch on Rasmussen’s development and were impressed by his progress. Following the trade, they began transitioning him into a starting role, giving him ten starts in the latter half of the 2021 season.
In 2022, Rasmussen solidified his position in the Rays’ rotation by making 28 starts and achieving a 2.84 ERA. His performance included a 21.4% strikeout rate, a 5.3% walk rate, and a 46.6% ground ball rate. He continued his strong performance into the 2023 season, posting a 2.62 ERA over eight starts before succumbing to another injury that required surgical intervention.
Returning from such a significant number of surgeries presents a considerable challenge. The Rays plan to ease Rasmussen back into major league action by initially using him in a multi-inning relief role. He began a rehab assignment last month and has since made five appearances in the minors, with none exceeding two innings in length. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Rasmussen is expected to return in a relief capacity rather than being immediately stretched out as a starter.
Even with the recent trades of Aaron Civale and Zach Eflin, the Rays have a robust rotation. Their current rotation includes Taj Bradley, Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs, and Zack Littell, with Tyler Alexander contributing as a bulk pitcher following an opener. Ryan Pepiot is also on the injured list with a knee issue but is anticipated to return soon.
For now, the Rays will evaluate Rasmussen’s effectiveness out of the bullpen and decide on the best course of action moving forward. Rasmussen is earning $1.8625 million this year, his first season under arbitration, and he remains under team control for two more seasons through arbitration. The Rays’ rotation plans for next year include Shane McClanahan’s return from his own Tommy John surgery.
The recent trades of Eflin and Civale indicate the Rays’ willingness to trade established players and rely on their internal resources to fill gaps. With Baz and Springs also returning from surgeries, it is likely that trade rumors will surround the team’s collection of potential starters during the offseason, given their depth and the team’s history of making strategic moves.
