Drew Rasmussen Building Back Up As A Starter
9 seconds agoTampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen threw his first live batting practice session of the spring on Wednesday and is working on a five-day starter's schedule. Rasmussen recovered from his third right-elbow surgery last year and rejoined the Rays as a reliever in August. The 29-year-old former sixth-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 out of Oregon State University appeared in 16 games (four starts) in 2024 and looked good with a 2.83 ERA (1.35 FIP), a 1.08 WHIP, one save, 35 strikeouts and six walks in 28 2/3 innings. There's no guarantee Rasmussen will actually be included as part of the Rays' Opening Day rotation, though, and he's appeared in only 24 games (12 starts) over the last two seasons due to injury. Given all of his elbow injuries over the years, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Rasmussen retreat back to the bullpen, especially since he looked so good in relief in his return in 2024.
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin