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It has been a long road to recovery for Tampa Bay Rays' prospect Shane Baz. He last pitched in the big leagues on July 10, 2022, after undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery in September of that year. That elbow injury also caused him to miss the entire 2023 campaign.
Baz was then making good progress this past spring before injuring his oblique, which delayed his eventual return to the mound. However, the right-hander appears to be in a good spot, as he was activated from the injured list back on May 23 and optioned to Triple-A Durham.
So, when is Baz getting called up? Will he return to the majors soon? Let's dive in and find out.
Shane Baz Prospect Update for Fantasy Baseball
It was only a matter of time until Baz was going to be called up by the Rays. He has pitched well at Triple-A this season, especially as of late. The 25-year-old allowed just four earned runs across 23 innings pitched (1.57 ERA) with 35 strikeouts in the month of June. In his last start, the right-hander gave up just two runs across five innings with seven strikeouts.
Shane Baz is taking over the vacant spot in Tampa Bay's rotation and will start Friday.
Last 5 GS in AAA: 23 IP, 1.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 10.4% BB, 36.5% K
The Rays are going to be careful with him, but the upside is massive.#RaysUppic.twitter.com/yNw0AdXMjv
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) July 3, 2024
Baz was then expected to start again on Tuesday, July 2, but he was scratched hours before his start. The reason for that was due to inclement weather in Kansas City -- where the Rays are playing against the Royals -- and the potential for a doubleheader on either Wednesday or Thursday.
However, it appears the Rays will need the young pitcher regardless because the team just traded away Aaron Civale on Wednesday morning. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, he expects Baz to take Civale's spot in the rotation, which was scheduled for Friday. So, fantasy managers can anticipate the 25-year-old being called up ahead of Friday's contest against the Texas Rangers.
Shane Baz Outlook for Fantasy Baseball
With Baz likely making his season debut on Friday, he should be rostered in all fantasy formats. The right-hander has shown great things on the mound at Triple-A this season, and he can put up consistent fantasy numbers in 2024.
Hearing Baz will join #Rays to take Civale’s spot in rotation; next start was to be Friday. Sterner likely to join bullpen today to provide depth.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 3, 2024
Fantasy managers, though, should be patient with the right-hander in his first couple of starts. When he takes the mound on Friday, that will be his first major league start in 726 days. So, there might be some struggles along the way from Baz this season. Still, the talent is there for him to put up solid numbers in 2024.
That's why Baz should be added in every fantasy league right now. In nine career starts with the Rays, the 25-year-old has a 4.02 ERA and 48 strikeouts.
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