Jul. 11—Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen, the Mt. Spokane High graduate who has overcome three arm surgeries, was named to the American League All-Star team for the first time Friday as a replacement for Los Angeles Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi.
Rasmussen, 29, has had a resurgent year after most of his 2023 and 2024 seasons were wiped out due to a surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament.
In his sixth MLB season, Rasmussen has a 7-5 record with a 2.82 ERA, 76 strikeouts and 21 walks. He’s thrown 89 1/3 innings, tracking for a career high (153, previously 146).
Rasmussen ran into injury trouble while playing at Oregon State. He was selected in the first round by the Rays in 2017, despite undergoing one Tommy John surgery, but did not sign with the team. Rasmussen returned to the Beavers and had to have a second Tommy John surgery, missing the 2018 season and becoming a sixth round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2018 draft.
The Rays were able to recoup Rasmussen in a 2021 trade for Willy Adames and Trevor Richards.
The Rays’ faith in Rasmussen has paid off as he’s become one of the best right-handers in the AL. He has a career 27-17 record with a 2.93 ERA, 377 strikeouts and 103 walks.
The Rays (50-44) are third in the AL East and hold the second wild-card spot. Rasmussen has allowed more than three runs in one Tampa Bay loss this season.
Rasmussen is the first Spokane-area graduate to make an All-Star team since reliever Andrew Kittredge (Ferris) in 2021, also with Tampa.