Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen is set to undergo an internal brace surgery that will end his 2023 season, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Rasmussen has been out with a flexor strain since mid-May, though the club initially hoped he could return this season. The 27-year-old hurler now is not expected return until midway through the 2024 campaign, per Topkin.
The news is yet another blow to a Rays rotation that lost left-hander Shane McClanahan to the injured list at the end of June. Rasmussen will now join left-hander Jeffrey Springs, who underwent Tommy John surgery back in April, in missing the remainder of the 2023 campaign. The Rays are currently leaning on a rotation of Tyler Glasnow, Taj Bradley, Zach Eflin, and Yonny Chirinos as they await McClanahan’s return from the IL. While that’s a solid group who has combined for a 3.99 in 252 1/3 innings this season, it’s hard to deny to that both Rasmussen (2.62 ERA in eight starts) and Springs (0.56 ERA in three starts) would be major upgrades to the current group if healthy.
News that Tampa will be without Rasmussen for the rest of the season comes just three weeks before the August 1 trade deadline. The Rays are the top team in the AL with a 57-34 record even as they’ve not been able to field their five best starters at the same time for a single turn through the rotation all season. Still, without Rasmussen to help bolster the pitching staff down the stretch and into the playoffs the club’s already-acknowledged need to add pitching in the coming weeks is only intensified.
Of course, the market for starting pitchers is always a competitive one, and GM Peter Bendix previously indicated the club was unlikely to participate in a bidding war for the most highly sought-after hurlers. While it’s possible the recent news on Rasmussen has increased the club’s urgency to make impactful additions, the Rays may still prefer to stick to less sought-after options like Jack Flaherty or Michael Lorenzen rather than pursue top-of-the-market arms like Lucas Giolito.
Looking beyond the 2023 campaign, the Rays are currently set to enter the 2024 campaign without the services of either Rasmussen or Springs. Glasnow, McClanahan, Bradley, Eflin, and Chirinos are all controlled through at least 2024, giving them a plausible Opening Day rotation still under contract, but with minimal depth outside of that group, it would hardly be a surprise if the club pursued additionally starting depth during the coming offseason- that is, unless they add an arm with multiple years of control this summer.
Good luck to the young man. Not an easy rehab.
That sucks for Rasmussen and TB, my 2nd favorite team. They should give the Tigers a shout and grab some starting and relief pitchers before the big rush come trade deadline time. Erod, Lorenzen, Cisnero, Shreve…maybe even Lange for an absolutely exhorbitant price. TB has lots of good young players we could use…Mead for starters.
maybe Tampa should be more careful with their pitchers.. starting to see a trend
It seems to be everywhere. Detroit has had at least 7 starters injured at one point or another this year. It shows how deep TB is that they just call someone else up and keep rolling. I guess it helps when you have a solid offense 1 through 9 in your order.
Maybe what the Rays do is acquire a lot more guys with bad medicals because they see cheap potential in those arms. Certainly the case with Rasmussen, any insurance agent could’ve told you this would happen given his history.
I sure hope the Rays don’t cheap out on trades with their prospect hugging. They have a real shot this year if they get a good starter.
Keeping a top farm system gives the Rays have a real shot every year, and no trades can guarantee a world series ring this year. They’ll be in the playoffs, and the playoffs will be a roll of the dice as always.
Time to call the cubs and see what stro is going to cost.
Or Hendricks.
The Rays promising young 3B at AA would be the obvious target for the Cubs, who are trying to get by with Nick Madrigal, but they would probably have to give some mid-range prospects to make that work.
Umm if you’re referring to Caminero think again. There isn’t a package or player in the cubs system that can land that kid. He’s gonna be better than Wander watch. Or do some simple research online and when you see his swing you’ll understand. Brujan, Jones, Basabe are more likely to go.
I have been waiting for Caminero to get to Durham.
If Aranda can stick at 3B defensively, he would be a more realistic target since Mead’s elbow is a liability. Then again, the Cubs got Mastrobuoni in the off-season who also appears to be AAAA guy.
Stroman and Bellinger and you probably win the World Series. Still no?
Rangers could use Flaherty (St.L) to shore up a very shaky SP staff. They could also make a deal with the Tigers and get both Foley and Alex Lange to fill their unreliable bullpen. Keep Bradford up and bring up Alex Speas from AAA. Heaney and Perez are not long in a Ranger uniform.
Foley and Lange would cost you a ton. Four years of club control left each and proven big ieaguers whobanchor a solid bullpen. Foscue and Leiter? Carter and Rocker?
Sidebar, how on Earth is Speas only 25?
Ouch. That hurts the Rays. They’ll be busy at the deadline…. If not before.
Jacob Lopez and his .119 ERA is sitting there in AAA waiting for a shot at The Show. Rays might as well test him out either as a SP or RP even is he’s not considered a top prospect.
Yup and Wilcox who is also a big part of the future might need to be fast tracked. Innings would be limited but he can pitch in the show right now. Kittredge, White and plenty of others are available soon to help the in pen down the stretch. However, 1 controllable starter for some of our positional depth is obviously not a bad idea.
barn luck the rays are loaded
I knew it was coming. This sucks hopefully 3rd time is te charm. Has anyone other than Vinters come back from 3 TJS?
Thus isn’t TJ is it?
The internal brace surgery is a less invasive alternative to TJ.
Met with a Rays staffer tonight at the Clearwater Threshers game and he heard brace surgery from the club guys today. Same as Nick Anderson. Not the end of the world and a potential 2024 return if all goes well.
I’ll Talley this up to another TJ. Any one have a Count ? So far this season.
274.
Throw more Sweepers! That pitch is hard on the ligaments
Flaherty going through the pitching machine in Tampa could definitely do wonders for his free agent stock
Monty to the Rays. Book it. Worst nightmare for Cashman.
Rays have enough of a farm to make a deal and I wonder if they make the same mistake like 2021 and not make a move and limp to teh posts season If you are gonna complain about not having money than make some trades like when they fleeced the Pirates.
They’ll dumpster dive at the deadline and make no meaningful improvement all the while breaking more of their young pitchers. To cap it off, they’ll cry poor to anyone who’ll listen.
Rays pitching meat grinder claims another one.
Baz should also be back in 2024.
Their unraveling is taking place even earlier this year. Usually they wait until the final weeks of the season or first round of the playoffs to fall back to earth and know their place. Even after their cute, lucky start to the year they will be lucky to hold on to a wildcard.
Why do all these players wait months to get treatment
Shane Baz will be ready to go to start the 2024 season.