Rasmussen didn't factor into the decision Thursday against Baltimore, allowing two hits and two walks across 2.1 scoreless innings. He stuck out three.
Making his final start of the season, Rasmussen was pulled after recording one out in the third inning, putting him exactly at his 150-inning limit for the season. While Rasmussen failed to make it past five innings in any of his final five outings, the right-hander had a strong campaign overall, posting a 2.76 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP and 127 strikeouts across 31 starts.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Labors in no-decision
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Rasmussen did not factor into the decision in Friday's 11-7 loss to the Red Sox, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with two strikeouts over three innings.
Rasmussen needed 76 pitches to get through just three innings, generating only four whiffs in his shortest outing since the All-Star break. After closing August with four straight quality starts, the 30-year-old has failed to complete more than five frames in any of his four September outings. He owns a 2.80 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 124:35 K:BB across 147.2 innings this season and will aim to finish strong in a road matchup with the Orioles next week.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Pulled after five frames again
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Rasmussen allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five batters over five innings in a no-decision against the Cubs on Saturday.
Rasmussen tossed just 80 pitches in the outing, and he's now been pulled after five frames (despite not throwing more than 82 pitches) in each of his past three starts. While he hasn't taken a loss since June 19, the right-hander also has recorded five consecutive no-decisions despite not allowing more than three runs in any outing during that stretch. Rasmussen's overall numbers this season remain strong, as he's posted a 2.74 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 122:34 K:BB over 144.2 innings spanning 29 starts. He's in line to make his next start at home against Toronto.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Bad inning ruins start
Rotowire
Rasmussen didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against Seattle, allowing three runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out two and did not issue a walk.
Rasmussen was excellent outside of the fourth inning. He ceded three solo homers during the frame, marking the 30-year-old's first time allowing more than two home runs in a start this season. He's now yielded multiple homers in two of his last three appearances. Since the start of August, Rasmussen has a 2.10 ERA with a 28:3 K:BB across 34.1 innings. He's on track to face the Guardians on Sunday.
Rasmussen came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Guardians, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out five.
The right-hander extended his quality start streak to four with another sharp performance that saw him fire 60 of 85 pitches for strikes, but Rasmussen missed out on his 11th win of the season when the Rays bullpen blew a 3-2 lead. He hasn't been tagged for more than two runs in an outing since June 30, and over nine trips to the mound since the beginning of July, Rasmussen sports a 2.34 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 39:7 K:BB in 42.1 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Mariners.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Solid start against Yankees
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Rasmussen allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six across six innings Wednesday against the Yankees. He did not factor into the decision.
Rasmussen allowed a pair of solo home runs but otherwise held the Yankees in check. After having his workload limited during a brief stretch in July, Rasmussen has now turned in three consecutive quality starts. He's allowed only four runs (three earned) across 18 innings in that span, maintaining an excellent 15:2 K:BB.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Notches win No. 10
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Rasmussen (10-5) earned the win over the Athletics on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and no walks while striking out five batters over six innings.
The only earned run Rasmussen allowed came on a Lawrence Butler solo shot in the third inning. The righty hurler was otherwise sharp and efficient, throwing 58 of 76 pitches for strikes en route to his second straight quality start. Pushing that out further, Rasmussen hasn't given up more than two earned runs in any of his past seven starts, posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 28:4 K:BB across 30.1 frames during that span. He's one of just 14 MLB pitchers to reach double-digit wins on the campaign so far.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Strong start wasted Friday
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Rasmussen came away with a no-decision in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Mariners, scattering four hits over six scoreless innings. He struck out four without walking a batter.
The right-hander put up nothing but goose eggs for the second straight trip to the mound, firing 55 of 79 pitches for strikes in his fifth quality start of the year, but Rasmussen saw his 10th win slip away when Griffin Jax melted down in the eighth inning. Rasmussen has worked at least five innings in three straight outings and thrown more than 70 pitches in four straight as the Rays ease his workload restrictions while trying to stay in the AL wild-card picture, and since the All-Star break he sports a 1.77 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 20:3 K:BB over 20.1 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come on the road next week against the A's.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Blanks Dodgers for ninth win
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Rasmussen (9-5) picked up the win in Saturday's 4-0 victory over the Dodgers, scattering four hits over 5.1 scoreless innings. He struck out six without walking a batter.
Los Angeles didn't even get a runner into scoring position against Rasmussen, who fired 51 of 73 pitches for strikes before being lifted a couple outs shy of his fifth quality start of the season. The right-hander continues to have his workload monitored by the Rays and hasn't tossed at least six innings since June 8, posting a 3.93 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 34:11 K:BB in 36.2 innings over his last nine outings. Saturday's performance suggests the plan is paying dividends, and Rasmussen is scheduled to make his next start on the road next weekend in Seattle.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Collects eighth win
Rotowire
Rasmussen (8-5) earned the win Monday against the Yankees, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts over five innings.
The Tampa Bay righty picked up his first win since June 25, which is also the last time he threw five frames. The Rays have been throttling Rasmussen's innings lately, as his season total now stands at 100.1 after tossing just 73.1 frames over his previous two seasons due to injuries. It didn't look like Rasmussen would qualify for the win after walking home two runs in the opening frame; however, he settled in after and conceded just one additional run over four scoreless innings to wrap his 81-pitch outing. Rasmussen will carry a 2.96 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 87:25 K:BB into his next start against the Dodgers at home this weekend.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Tosses four innings
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Rasmussen allowed two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out five in four innings Tuesday against the White Sox. He did not factor into the decision.
Rasmussen went nine up and nine down to open the game but ran into some trouble in the fourth. He allowed a double, two singles and a walk before a sacrifice fly plated a second run in the inning for the White Sox. Rasmussen exited after tossing 75 pitches, his most in an outing since he threw 92 on June 19. The team reported before the All-Star break that Rasmussen was expected to handle a typical starter's workload when making his next turn through the rotation, but it seems manager Kevin Cash is still being somewhat cautious with Rasmussen's pitch count. The right-hander lines up to toe the rubber again next week on the road versus the Yankees.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Set for normal start after break
Rotowire
Rasmussen is expected to handle a typical starter's workload when he makes his next turn through the rotation July 22 versus the White Sox in Tampa, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
In an effort to keep his season-long workload under 150 innings after he underwent his third major right elbow surgery in July 2023, Rasmussen was limited to three, two and two innings in his final three starts prior to the All-Star break. In the latter two outings, the Rays deployed Joe Boyle in bulk relief behind him, but Rasmussen looks like he'll be in line for a standalone start in his first appearance of the second half. With Rasmussen sitting at 91.1 innings on the season, the Rays are still likely to manage his workload to some degree over the next two and a half months, but he should remain usable in most fantasy leagues so long as he's covering around five or six frames in his starts. Rasmussen owns a modest 21.7 percent strikeout rate for the season but has provided an excellent 2.86 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while gathering seven wins through 19 outings.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Solid in short start
Rotowire
Rasmussen did not factor into the decision in Friday's 5-4 loss to Boston, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out one over two innings.
Rasmussen surrendered his lone run in the second inning before exiting at the end of the frame. The Rays have been transparent about managing his workload, and this marked his third straight appearance without completing more than three innings. Over that span, the right-hander has allowed six earned runs on 11 hits while striking out five across seven total innings
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Will be used in tandem with Boyle
Rotowire
Rays manager Kevin Cash suggested after Sunday's 7-5 extra-inning win over the Twins that he intends to use Rasmussen as an opener in front of bulk reliever Joe Boyle for at least a few more turns through the rotation, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
After Rasmussen was used primarily in relief late in the 2024 campaign upon completing his recovery from a July 2023 internal brace procedure -- the third major elbow surgery of his career -- the Rays moved the right-hander back into the rotation on a full-time basis this season with the aim of limiting him to around 150 innings in 2025. Just over halfway into the campaign, Rasmussen has already compiled 89.1 innings, and despite the fact he's turned in a shiny 2.82 ERA and 1.01 WHIP through 18 starts, the Rays will stick to their plan of managing his workload so that he can be available in some capacity through the rest of the regular season and potentially into the playoffs. The Rays took the first step in curtailing Rasmussen's workload Sunday, when he was lifted after allowing one run in two innings before Boyle took over to cover the next five frames. Cash didn't go into specifics regarding how long the Rasmussen/Boyle pairing might be used or if Rasmussen would remain capped at around two innings when he's deployed in a tandem, but the arrangement is undoubtedly a negative development for the 29-year-old from a fantasy standpoint. In addition to not being able to qualify for wins if he regularly pitches fewer than five innings in starts, Rasmussen's impact in the ratio categories would also become more muted with lighter innings counts.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Has shortest start of season
Rotowire
Rasmussen took a no-decision after throwing three innings, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two, during Monday's 6-4 loss to the Athletics.
Rasmussen has pitched into at least the fifth inning in each of his 16 prior starts, but didn't even make it into the fourth inning Monday. The 29-year-old allowed four runs, tied for his most in an outing all year, and only threw 54 pitches before his evening came to an end. It was an early ambush from the Athletics that accounted for most of the damage, with Shea Langeliers hitting just the third home run that Rasmussen has allowed in his last nine starts. The right-hander will have a chance to rebound over the weekend as his next scheduled start is Sunday at the Twins.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Takes loss versus Orioles
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Rasmussen (6-5) allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five over 5.1 innings to take the loss Thursday versus the Orioles.
Rasmussen pitched well for the most part, but he allowed a leadoff single to Gunnar Henderson in the sixth inning that sparked Baltimore's rally. Reliever Edwin Uceta couldn't stop the bleeding, and after he allowed the inherited runner to score, Rasmussen ended up taking his first loss since May 11. He had allowed just six runs over 34 innings across his previous six starts, and Thursday's effort was by no means a bad performance. The right-hander has maintained a 2.61 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 67:18 K:BB over 79.1 innings through 15 starts this season. Rasmussen is projected for a road start in Kansas City his next time out.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Quality start vs. Marlins
Rotowire
Rasmussen allowed two runs on six hits and a walk in a no-decision Sunday against Miami. He struck out three.
While Rasmussen's four-start scoreless streak ended in the first inning Sunday, the right-hander was able to settle in and hold the Marlins to one run over his final five frames, picking up a fourth quality start in his last five outings. The 29-year-old Rasmussen's ERA sits at 2.22 through 13 starts (69 innings) this year with a 0.90 WHIP and 59:14 K:BB. He's currently slated to face the Mets on the road in his next outing.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Blanks Jays for third win
Rotowire
Rasmussen (3-4) picked up the win Friday, allowing four hits and two walks over six scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory over the Blue Jays. He struck out three.
It's the second straight quality start, and second straight scoreless outing, for Rasmussen, who kept Toronto's bats in check despite generating only four swinging strikes among his 76 pitches (43 strikes). The 29-year-old righty has given up more than three runs only once in 10 trips to the mound this season, and he'll take a 2.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 43:12 K:BB through 52 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home next week against the Twins.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Tosses six scoreless in win
Rotowire
Rasmussen (2-4) earned the win against the Marlins on Saturday, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out five over six scoreless innings.
Rasmussen needed only 81 pitches to complete six frames for the first time this year. While Saturday marked his first win since his season debut March 31, the 29-year-old has allowed three earned runs or fewer in eight of nine starts. He'll carry a 2.93 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 40:10 K:BB across 46 innings into a home matchup with the Blue Jays next weekend.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Allows two homers in loss
Rotowire
Rasmussen (1-4) took the loss against the Brewers on Sunday, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk with three strikeouts over five innings.
Rasmussen surrendered back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning and was charged with his third straight loss. He's now allowed three earned runs or more in four of his past five outings and hasn't recorded a win since his season debut. Still, the 29-year-old owns a solid 3.38 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 35:10 K:BB across 40 innings and lines up for a favorable matchup with the Marlins next weekend.
