Drew Rasmussen was the beginning pitcher in Sunday’s 7-5 Rays win over the Twins, however Rasmussen solely tossed two innings earlier than turning issues over to Joe Boyle, who was known as up from Triple-A earlier than the sport. Boyle allowed only one unearned run over 5 innings of labor, and he has but to permit any earned runs over 10 MLB innings this season.
The short hook for Rasmussen wasn’t for any well being purpose, however moderately the debut of a method the Rays will probably be deploying over the subsequent few weeks. As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Instances explains, Rasmussen has now thrown 89 1/3 innings this season, placing him on monitor to far exceed the 150-inning restrict the Rays set for the right-hander since he missed many of the 2023-24 seasons resulting from an inside brace surgical procedure. Since he additionally underwent two Tommy John surgical procedures earlier than even starting his professional profession, the Rays naturally needed to watch out in managing Rasmussen’s workload within the aftermath of yet one more main elbow process.
Since Rasmussen has delivered a 2.82 ERA this yr, Tampa desires to ensure the right-hander will nonetheless have one thing for later within the season and into October, because the 49-41 Rays are in place for a playoff berth. The crew’s reply is to make use of Rasmussen as basically an opener over his subsequent few begins, with Boyle appearing as a piggyback pitcher.
Rasmussen is pleased with the plan, as “it lets us get the Joe Boyle expertise, which is electrical. After which additionally permits me to only keep on routine in addition to restrict among the innings for this yr. After they introduced the concept to me a pair days in the past, it was one thing I’m on board with, clearly, as a result of I feel they’re at all times searching for my finest curiosity.”
Tampa Bay’s rotation of Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz, Taj Bradley, and Zack Littell has been each efficient and extremely sturdy. The quintet have mixed to start out all however one of many Rays’ video games this season — the lone exception was Boyle’s solely different MLB outing of 2025, a spot begin on April 13. Because of this, Boyle has had hassle working his approach onto the roster, regardless of a 1.85 ERA, 32.9% strikeout charge, and 10.6% stroll charge over 73 Triple-A frames.
Acquired from the A’s as a part of the Jeffrey Springs commerce again in December, Boyle seems to be the most recent pitcher to discover a new stage of efficiency after becoming a member of the Rays group. Boyle at all times had a ton of velocity and racked up loads of strikeouts, nevertheless it looks like he has now lessened the management issues that plagued his time within the Athletics farm system. His emergence offers Tampa Bay yet one more pitching weapon to bedevil opposing batters, and it will likely be fascinating to see how Boyle is deployed past the tip of this piggybacking experiment with Rasmussen.
Sunday’s recreation wasn’t with out its issues for the Rays, as Brandon Lowe left within the backside of the third inning resulting from soreness in his left facet. Lowe downplayed the seriousness of the scenario when talking with Topkin and different reporters after the sport, saying that the removing “feels very precautionary, because it’s slightly sore. Let’s simply get off of it for slightly bit and let it relaxation up.”
Lowe missed over a month of the 2024 season coping with a proper indirect pressure, so he’s no stranger to facet accidents. Even when this newest situation prices Lowe a recreation or two, that’s vastly preferable to a different long-term absence, as accidents have plagued Lowe over the past three seasons. Lowe has stayed wholesome and productive in 2025, and his .272/.324/.487 slash line and 19 residence runs in 343 plate appearances earned the second baseman a spot on his second All-Star crew.
In different infield information, Ha-Seong Kim made his Rays debut on July 3, however that is still his lone look resulting from a cramp in his proper calf. It doesn’t appear to be the harm is just too critical, as Kim took half in most conventional baseball actions previous to Sunday’s recreation. Kim is just simply again in motion after his restoration from offseason shoulder surgical procedure price him over half of the 2025 marketing campaign, so it is smart that the Rays don’t need to push him too quickly.
