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It has been a couple of seasons since fantasy managers have seen Tampa Bay Rays starter Shane Baz pitch in the big leagues. Baz last appeared in the majors in 2022, making six starts with the Rays.
However, after his start on July 10, 2022, Baz experienced some pain in his elbow. Tampa Bay eventually shut him down, and the right-hander opted for season-ending Tommy John surgery.
It appears, though, that a return to the majors is near for Baz. So, should fantasy managers stash the 25-year-old in redraft formats? Let's dive in and find out.
Shane Baz 2024 Season
It has been a long road to recovery for the young pitcher. He underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2022, which led to the right-hander missing the entire 2023 season. Baz has also missed a portion of this season after his first rehab start came on May 4.
That May 4 start was the first time Baz had taken the mound since July 10, 2022 -- almost 22 months apart. So, it's expected that the Rays will be careful with their young pitcher, especially considering all the time he missed with that elbow injury. That has certainly been the case for the right-hander in 2024.
"Ready to go... excited to kind of put that behind me and really just take it one day at a time."
After missing last season with Tommy John surgery, Shane Baz is working his way back to help stabilize the @RaysBaseball rotation. pic.twitter.com/D7RDEJ3eUk
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 7, 2024
Following four rehab starts, Tampa Bay activated Baz from the injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Durham. The 25-year-old continues to work on things in the minors and should be close to making his season debut with the Rays. The right-hander has allowed just two earned runs across 18 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts over his last four outings.
Should I Stash Shane Baz In Redraft Leagues?
At this point in the fantasy season, Baz is a strong stash option in all redraft formats. Despite struggling in his rehab assignment -- which was expected after missing almost 22 months-- the right-hander has shown his potential on the mound as of late. He struck out 10 batters across five innings of one-run ball on June 8 and followed that up by throwing six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts on June 14.
Clap it up for another strong outing from Shane Baz
His final line tonight:
6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO pic.twitter.com/gmsczu0ce8— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) June 15, 2024
Don't forget, Baz was MLB Pipeline's No. 12 overall prospect before the 2022 season. With the way he is pitching in the minors currently, a promotion to the Rays' active roster should be shortly approaching. Make sure to stash him now before your league mates do because his upside could really help fantasy managers over the final months of the season.
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