When Is Shane Baz Getting Called Up? Fantasy Baseball Prospect Outlook

One of the most anticipated 2024 debuts has to be that of Tampa Bay starting pitcher Shane Baz.

Baz hasn't faced major league hitters since 2022, as he had Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of 2023.

Baz has been completing his rehab at Triple-A Durham, where he's now made seven starts this season. Tampa Bay badly needs help in their rotation, and fantasy owners who have been stashing Baz want to know, "How soon until we see Shane Baz on the mound for the Rays?"

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Shane Baz Prospect Update for Fantasy Baseball

It's been five weeks since Baz first stepped on the mound at Durham. The Rays have been very cautious with their prized prospect coming off TJ surgery, so Baz has been permitted to throw only 3-4 innings at most in his first handful of starts.

Shane Baz dominated yesterday for Triple-A Durham.

5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 10 K

Health permitting, the upside is still a Top-20 SP for #FantasyBaseball.#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/yNw0AdYk93

— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) June 9, 2024

But in his most recent start, he looked fantastic and offered a glimpse of how dominant he can be when fully healthy and confident. He whiffed ten hitters over five innings and was allowed to throw 81 pitches, which is a great sign that he could be stretched out enough to make his first MLB start the next time through the rotation.

Shane Baz Outlook for Fantasy Baseball

We have only a small sample size of data on Baz vs. major league hitters from 2021-2022. He did allow a lot of hard contact and home runs but also struck out more than a hitter per inning. His upside is massive as he throws a high-90s fastball and has at least one plus breaking ball that he can use to keep hitters off balance.

Shane Baz had a strong start in AAA today, tossing 5.0 IP with 10 K

Baz's stuff was better today, grading out the best out of all his AAA appearances. He is now up to 81 pitches, which bodes well for his path back to Tampa Bay pic.twitter.com/3KWzWCiwKv

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) June 9, 2024

Baz is currently rostered in just 24% of Yahoo leagues, but his rostership is rising after yesterday's performance. If you have an open roster spot, the time to stash Baz is now, as he has some of the most upside of any pitcher in the minor leagues and could be a huge help down the stretch for fantasy baseball teams, especially in the strikeout department.

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