Rasmussen to have season-ending elbow surgery

ST. PETERSBURG -- When Rays starter Drew Rasmussen was placed on the 60-day injured list on May 12 due to a flexor strain in his right elbow, he was hopeful he would be able to avoid surgery and work his way back to the mound.

But Rasmussen received some frustrating and disheartening news earlier this week. The right-hander will soon undergo a hybrid internal brace procedure of the ulnar collateral ligament, the third major surgery on the talented 27-year-old’s right elbow. It will sideline him the rest of this year and into next season.

Rasmussen recently met with Dr. Keith Meister, who is scheduled to perform the surgery on July 24. Manager Kevin Cash announced the news Saturday afternoon. Rasmussen spoke about the diagnosis following the Rays' 10-4 win over the Braves on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field.

"Anytime you think you have a chance you’ll be able to come back and avoid surgery, there’s a lot of hope. But it’s one of those things where you try and get a second look, and it turns out it’s not quite as positive as what you were hoping," Rasmussen said. "Unfortunately, it is an occupational hazard, and it’s just one of those things that players have to deal with all over the place.

"I’m no stranger to it, so I don’t think there’s a whole lot of fear when it comes to the actual surgery and rehab process itself. It’s just one of those things. It sucks when your season comes to an end early. I think we all have our own way of dealing with it. I’m definitely dealing with it to the best of my abilities right now and trying to prepare and get ready for the road ahead."

It’s a crushing turn of events for Rasmussen, who was thriving in Tampa Bay’s rotation after a May 2021 trade from Milwaukee and a late-’21 move out of the bullpen. He put together a 2.84 ERA over 28 starts last year, and he recorded a 2.62 ERA in his first eight starts this season. His last outing was one of his best, as he held the Yankees to two hits and struck out seven over seven scoreless innings in New York on May 11.

But after facing his final batter that night, Rasmussen admitted to pitching coach Kyle Snyder that he felt “nerve sensitivity” in his right forearm, and he was immediately taken out of the game. Surgery was not initially recommended, although Rasmussen was shut down from throwing for eight weeks. He said he initially felt asymptomatic, but a follow-up MRI revealed there were "still some issues in there that we've got to get cleaned up."

Rasmussen had been hoping to return before the end of the season, but given his injury history, he acknowledged that “anything dealing with the forearm/elbow is terrifying for me.” Rasmussen underwent Tommy John surgery as a sophomore at Oregon State in March 2016, then had a second Tommy John surgery on Aug. 23, 2017.

He acknowledged "some relief" that he won't have to go through a third Tommy John surgery, and he's confident he can return to form after the long, arduous rehabilitation process. But he still probably won’t be ready to pitch until midseason in 2024, sparking his predominant feeling of frustration.

"The surgery is always complicated. It’s never easy, never straightforward," Rasmussen said. "Once we’re on the other side of things, I think we’ll have a little more clarity. We’re going to do the best with the information we have today, and we’ll go forward from there."

It’s another tough blow to Tampa Bay’s pitching staff, which already lost lefty starter Jeffrey Springs to Tommy John surgery in April and will spend the rest of the season without young right-hander Shane Baz after he underwent the same procedure last September. Left-hander Josh Fleming (left elbow inflammation) is on the 60-day IL but working his way back.

The Rays are expecting to have ace Shane McClanahan (mid-back tightness) rejoin their rotation when eligible on July 16. Tyler Glasnow is perplexed by the cramping that has affected him in multiple outings this year, including Friday night’s strong start against Atlanta, but he doesn’t think it will force him to miss time. Zach Eflin has been a consistent presence, while rookie Taj Bradley and bulk-inning righty Yonny Chirinos have had their ups and downs.

Considering their injury concerns and World Series aspirations, the Rays will likely consider adding further depth to their rotation before the Trade Deadline.

“We kind of need guys to continue to perform, and we're going to lean on guys that maybe we didn't expect that we were going to need coming out of the gate,” Cash said. “Losing Drew and losing Jeffrey, two guys that we expected to do a lot of good things -- and they were doing great things. The injuries stink. I feel like we've already done the adapting. That’s kind of who we are now, that we have to lean on some other pitchers.”