ST. PETERSBURG -- Finally, the Rays’ rotation might be getting some good news.

While the big league club continued piecing together its pitching during a 6-4 loss to the Brewers in Sunday’s series finale at Tropicana Field, Tyler Glasnow cruised through a six-inning rehab start for Triple-A Durham at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

After losing key starters Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen to long-term injuries during the first quarter of the season, Tampa Bay seems poised to welcome Glasnow back next weekend. 

Glasnow, who has been sidelined since early Spring Training due to a Grade 2 oblique strain, allowed only one run on two hits and two walks while striking out six batters against Milwaukee’s Triple-A Nashville affiliate. He needed only 67 pitches to complete six innings, and Nashville’s hitters whiffed on 16 of his offerings.

“Encouraged by that,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I would expect, if he comes in feeling good, then we'll be talking about getting him to join us at some point.”

The Rays have already announced their pitching plans for the upcoming four-game series against the Blue Jays. Trevor Kelley will serve as the opener on Monday night at Tropicana Field, with lefty Josh Fleming expected to pitch the bulk of the innings after him. They’ll roll out starters Taj Bradley, Shane McClanahan and Zach Eflin in the next three games.

The next open spot in their rotation, the one occupied Sunday by opener Jalen Beeks and bulk-innings righty Cooper Criswell, would come up Friday night. If Glasnow reports back healthy and remains on turn, he could make his season debut against the Dodgers in a 2020 World Series rematch.

In four rehab starts for Durham, he allowed just one run with five walks and 20 strikeouts over 13 1/3 innings. He’s been held back by various injuries since joining the Rays on July 31, 2018, most notably Tommy John surgery in ‘21, but there is no denying the ability he’ll bring to the top of the rotation.

“We view him as just really talented, obviously, with what he’s done,” Cash said. “To get him healthy and see if we can get him on a run consistently where we can pencil that in every fifth or sixth day, it will help a lot.”

The Rays have already had their depth tested, which is what led them to recall top prospect Bradley last week and why they approached Sunday’s series finale with Beeks and Criswell, the duo who allowed six runs on three early homers.

Former Ray Willy Adames took Beeks deep in the second inning, then celebrated by imitating Randy Arozarena’s famous arms-crossed pose on the two-year anniversary of the trade that sent him from the Rays to the Brewers.

“He had said earlier today that he was gonna hit a home run and that he was gonna do the pose, and I didn't believe him,” said Arozarena, who was honored pregame, through interpreter Manny Navarro. “But, obviously, he hit a home run and he did the pose.”

Rowdy Tellez bashed a two-run shot off Criswell in the fourth to make it a 3-0 game, and William Contreras sent a two-run blast to center in the fifth. Christian Yelich then doubled and scored on a Brian Anderson single to once again put Milwaukee up by three.

On both home runs, Criswell was done in by the fact that he fell behind in the count -- 3-1 to Tellez and 2-0 to Contreras.

“I'm not a hitter, but if you're up, 2-0, 3-1, you're dead-red, sitting on the pitch you're hunting,” Criswell said. “And they hunted it.”

If there was a silver lining for the Rays, besides Glasnow’s performance about 700 miles north, it was Josh Lowe. The outfielder continued to shine, bashing a game-tying three-run shot off starter Freddy Peralta in the fourth inning, then adding an RBI single in the eighth. In 38 games, Lowe is hitting .318 with a 1.027 OPS, 11 homers and 34 RBIs.

“Not a hot start anymore. He's having a really solid season,” Cash said. “He’s putting it together. Just good at-bats, making adjustments.”

The Rays kept it interesting in the final innings, loading the bases with two outs in the eighth then bringing the potential tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Brewers closer Devin Williams shut down both rallies.

“I feel pretty good about our chances even if we're down 10-0 against a team. We've been saying this team's relentless,” Lowe said. “We put together good at-bats there, and we had a chance to tie the game. But we just didn't do it today.”