The Rays have announced that right-hander Drew Rasmussen has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. In a corresponding move, right-handed pitcher Joel Kuhnel has been optioned to Triple-A Durham. With the recent transactions, the Rays now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.
Rasmussen, now 29, has been sidelined for the entire season after undergoing internal brace surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament last July. This is not his first elbow surgery; he previously had Tommy John surgery twice while in college.
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Rasmussen’s ongoing elbow issues have influenced his career path. The Rays originally drafted him in the first round of the 2017 draft but did not sign him due to concerns about his physical condition. After a second Tommy John surgery, he was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 draft by the Brewers, who then signed him.
He worked his way up through the minors and debuted with the Brewers as a reliever in 2020 and 2021. In May 2021, the Rays traded Willy Adames and Trevor Richards to acquire Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen. Although the Rays had previously passed on signing him, they were impressed with his progress and added him to their roster.
After the trade, Rasmussen made ten starts in the latter part of the 2021 season and solidified his place in the Rays’ rotation in 2022, making 28 starts with a 2.84 ERA. He continued to perform well with a 2.62 ERA in eight starts last year before being placed on the injured list again and requiring further surgery.
Returning from multiple surgeries will be challenging, so the Rays plan to ease him back into play with a multi-inning relief role for now. Rasmussen began a rehab assignment last month and made five minor league appearances, none lasting more than two innings. Reports indicate that he will return as a reliever rather than being fully stretched out.
Despite trading away Aaron Civale and Zach Eflin, the Rays have a strong rotation featuring Taj Bradley, Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs, and Zack Littell, with Tyler Alexander also contributing as a bulk pitcher behind an opener. Ryan Pepiot, currently on the injured list with a knee issue, may return soon.
The Rays will evaluate Rasmussen’s performance in the bullpen and decide on his future role. He is earning $1.8625 million this year, his first arbitration season, with two more arbitration years remaining. The team’s rotation for next year will likely include some combination of current options and returning pitcher Shane McClanahan. The recent trades indicate that the Rays are willing to trade established players and rely on internal options, so Rasmussen’s future, whether in the rotation or elsewhere, could be subject to trade discussions this offseason.
