Rasmussen (7-5) took the loss Thursday against the Yankees, allowing six runs on seven hits and no walks in 2.1 innings. He struck out two.
The third inning was a disastrous one for Rasmussen, who managed just one out and was touched up for each of his season-worst six runs in the frame. The seven hits allowed matched a season high, and the 30-year-old right-hander came away with his shortest outing of the campaign, as well. Rasmussen, who has coughed up 11 runs in his two July starts after yielding only three across five June appearances, seems to be heading into the All-Star break at the right time, holding what's still a strong 3.26 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 98:17 K:BB over 99.1 innings.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Rare dud in no-decision
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Rasmussen took a no-decision Saturday against the Astros, allowing five runs on six hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out two.
Rasmussen was never quite able to fully settle in following a two-run first inning, later giving up three more runs across the fourth and fifth frames. Not only did the two punchouts match a season low, but the 30-year-old right-hander coughed up more runs Saturday alone than he did in his previous five starts combined, surrendering just three during that stretch. Rasmussen will look to bounce back against the Yankees in his next scheduled start, still holding a strong 2.78 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 96:17 K:BB over 97 innings.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Puts bow on stellar June
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Rasmussen (7-4) notched the win Sunday against the Diamondbacks, allowing no runs on three hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out five.
Rasmussen was in top form Sunday, scattering two singles and a double across six shutout innings. The 30-year-old right-hander punctuated a spectacular month of June, giving up just three runs to go with a 39:4 K:BB through his last 33 frames (five starts). On track for his second consecutive All-Star nod, Rasmussen will take a 2.45 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 94:16 K:BB over 92 innings into his next scheduled appearance in Houston.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Takes hard-luck loss
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Rasmussen (6-3) allowed one run on six hits and struck out seven without walking a batter over seven innings, taking the loss versus the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Rasmussen gave up a solo home run to Shohei Ohtani in the sixth inning, and that was the difference in this close game. It's the first run Rasmussen has given up in June. He's added a 29:1 K:BB with just nine hits allowed over 21 innings this month. The right-hander is now at a 2.59 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 84:13 K:BB through 80 innings across 14 starts. Rasmussen will look to stay in dominant form in his next start, which is projected to be at home versus the Royals early next week.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Jumped early in second loss
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Rasmussen (4-2) took the loss Saturday against the Angels, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out four.
The Angels got to Rasmussen right away, as Wade Meckler hit a grand slam in the opening frame to put the Rays in an early 4-0 hole. The 30-year-old right-hander at least managed to settle in a bit with three innings of one-run ball the rest of the way, but he still gave up a season-worst five runs in his second-shortest outing of the year. Rasmussen, who still sports a 3.36 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 55:12 K:BB over 59 innings, will be trying to get back on track next weekend against the Marlins in Miami.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Rays-Yankees postponed
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Rasmussen and the Rays won't face the Yankees on Saturday, as the game was postponed due to inclement weather, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
Saturday's contest will be made up during a doubleheader Sept. 22 in New York, and Rasmussen's next start will likely be pushed back to Sunday. The 30-year-old righty has already faced the Yankees once this season, giving up just one hit while striking out seven batters over six shutout innings April 12.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Fans six in first loss of season
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Rasmussen (2-1) took the loss Wednesday as the Rays were downed 3-1 by the Guardians, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out six.
The right-hander was lifted after 91 pitches (65 strikes) in a close game, but Tampa Bay's offense couldn't mount a comeback and get him off the hook for his first loss of 2026. Rasmussen did manage to keep the ball in the yard after serving up five homers in his first 25.2 innings this season, but that's been the only real issue for him. He'll take a 2.64 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB through 30.2 frames into his next start, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Blue Jays.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Allows just one run in win
Rotowire
Rasmussen (2-0) earned the victory Friday against the Twins, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out six in six innings of work.
Rasmussen rebounded from his worst outing of the young season by shutting down the Twins offense to the tune of one run in six innings. The lone blemish was a home run surrendered to Brooks Lee, but the 30-year-old was sharp outside of that to make it four out of five starts on the year allowing one earned run or fewer. The right-hander is now 2-0 on the season with a 2.45 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 25.2 innings. His next scheduled appearance is set for Wednesday against the Guardians.
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Rays' Nick Fortes: Sitting Saturday
Rotowire
Fortes is not in the Rays' starting lineup against the Pirates on Saturday.
Fortes will be on the bench for the beginning of Saturday's game while Hunter Feduccia starts behind home plate and bats eighth while catching for Drew Rasmussen. Fortes has gone 4-for-11 (.364) with one RBI and one run scored over his last three starts and is slashing .321/.345/.453 over 55 plate appearances this season.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Moved to FME list
Rotowire
The Rays transferred Rasmussen (personal) from the paternity list to the family medical emergency list Saturday.
The move gives Rasmussen the option of spending an extra day away from the team, though he's still slated to start in Sunday's series finale against the Yankees, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Jesse Scholtens was recalled from Triple-A Durham to replenish the Rays' rotation after Joe Boyle (elbow) was placed on the 15-day IL, and he could start Sunday if Rasmussen is not available.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Goes on paternity leave
Rotowire
The Rays placed Rasmussen (personal) on the paternity list Wednesday.
Rasmussen had been slated to start Tuesday's game against the Cubs, but he ended up being scratched hours before first pitch after his wife went into labor sooner than anticipated. Tampa Bay didn't have a player available to replace Rasmussen on the roster Tuesday and opted to wait until Wednesday to deactivate him, with Jesse Scholtens now being recalled from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Rasmussen will rejoin the Rays no later than Saturday, and he'll likely be in line to make a start at some point during the team's weekend home series versus the Yankees.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Hurls five strong innings in opener
Rotowire
Rasmussen didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Cardinals, allowing one run on four hits and no walks in five innings. He struck out two.
It was a strong season debut overall for the right-hander, who was able to throw 73 pitches. It's worth noting that Rasmussen tossed 83 pitches in his final start of spring training a week ago, so it might have been a bit of a surprise to see him get pulled when he did Thursday. The Rays were careful about his workload in 2025 -- Rasmussen reached the 90-pitch mark just twice in 31 starts last season -- so his pitch count will remain worth monitoring early on this year.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Sharp in first spring outing
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Rasmussen allowed one hit in two scoreless innings during Monday's Grapefruit League game against Boston. He struck out three.
Rasmussen was very sharp in his first appearance of the spring, tossing 16 of his 23 pitches for strikes. Tampa Bay has already announced that Rasmussen is tabbed to start Opening Day, and the hope this season is that the Rays won't scale back his workload the way they did during the second half of last year. The right-hander should also benefit from the team moving back to pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field in 2026.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Named Opening Day starter
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The Rays have named Rasmussen their Opening Day starter, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Rasmussen was excellent in 2025 in his first full season back from elbow surgery, collecting a 2.76 ERA and 127:37 K:BB over 150 innings covering 31 starts. He had his workload carefully monitored last season but should have the reins loosened in 2026. That said, given that Rasmussen has undergone three major elbow surgeries, he's unlikely to ever be a workhorse. His Opening Day assignment will come March 26 in St. Louis.
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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.
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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.
