Drew Rasmussen placed on 60-day IL with flexor strain: What latest pitching injury means for Rays
Tampa Bay Rays starterDrew Rasmussen was placed on the 60-dayinjured list with a flexor strain, the team announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Rasmussen tossed seven scoreless innings against theYankees on Thursday. He allowed two hits and struck out seven batters in the 8-2 win.
- The 27-year-old said he felt something during his final batter of the game, and noted that his velocity was down, per the Tampa Bay Times’Marc Topkin. He will be shut down for eight weeks and then start building up, Topkin reported.
- In a corresponding move, the Rays selected right-hander Chris Muller to their major-league roster.
The Rays have selected RHP Chris Muller to the major league roster. To make room on the active and 40-Man rosters, we are placing RHP Drew Rasmussen on the 60-Day Injured List with a flexor strain.
— Rays Communications (@RaysPR)May 12, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What latest pitching injury means for Tampa Bay
This injury to Rasmussen is particularly distressing for both the player and the team. For the player, it’s an immediate 60-day break, at least, and any injury to the throwing arm is not great. This one in particular is worse though, asa study found that nearly one in five pitchers that suffered thisinjury ended up having Tommy John surgery within a year of the flexor strain. Rasmussen has already had Tommy John surgery twice, and the list of pitchers that have successfully come back from a third such surgery is very short — it includes Johnny Venters for sure, and possibly Jose Rijo and Jason Isringhausen, and the trio pitched less than a combined 250 innings after their third surgeries.
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For the Rays, it’s alarming because the front-running team is leading the league in pitching injuries again. Though they often acquire pitchers with injury risk and thereby lower the cost, this fact still has to be alarming to the team, and it makes it hard for Tampa to just get enough quality innings every year. Once again, they’re looking for a replacement in the rotation.
Tyler Glasnow, himself coming back from injury, only threw one inning in his last start. Though the prognosis was just that it was a small setback and he was still on schedule to return, he won’t be able to take the next turn for Rasmussen. That probably falls onTaj Bradley, who was lights out when he debuted but has struggled some in the minors as the team has asked him to alter his schedule and his pitch mix. Throw the best-laid plans out the window, rookie, it’s probably your time again. —Sarris
Backstory
Rasmussen, a sixth-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by theMilwaukee Brewers, has a 2.62 ERA in 44 2/3 innings across eight starts this season. His career ERA is 2.97 after appearing in 83 games (46 of them starts) since 2020.
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(Photo: Brad Penner / USA Today)
