Rays Place Pitcher Drew Rasmussen on IL With Hamstring Strain

NEW YORK — The injury bug has bit yet another pitcher on the Tampa Bay Rays' roster. This time it's right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who has made 12 starts already this season and has five wins.

Rasmussen, the 26-year-old from Spokane, Wash., was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, just a day before he was scheduled to start the series finale on Thursday against the New York Yankees. He's down with a left hamstring strain.

The Rays now have 14 players on the injured list, tied with the Cincinnati Reds for most in the majors. Rasmussen becomes the 22nd different Rays player on the injured list this season.

The Rays added right-hander Ralph Garza Jr. to the roster. He's been up and down from Triple-A Durham. Garza has made 11 appearances for the Rays, pitching 22 innings. He's 0-1 with a 3.27 earned run average.

Rasmussen was acquired by the Rays in May of 2021 along with reliever J.P. Feyereisen in the Willy Adames trade. He started in the bullpen, but was converted into a starter, and was slotted in the No. 2 spot in the Rays' rotation behind ace Shane McClanahan.

Rasmussen is 5-3 and was very consistent through his first nine starts. He did get touched for five runs in three innings on May 30 at Texas — the first time he had ever allowed more than three runs in a game — but then bounced right back to pitch seven scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox on June 4, allowing just three hits.

But last Friday at Minnesota, he got roughed up again, allowing seven runs — four earned — in a 9-4 loss. His ERA has jumped from 2.33 to 3.41 over the last three starts.

There was some concern that something might be up with him or another pitcher when Garza was summoned to New York on Tuesday without any accompanying roster move. That came Wednesday.

There was no decision announced on who will start Thursday night for the Rays. Tampa Bay did have an off day on Monday, so there are options. 

This story will be updated.