Drew Rasmussen will take the mound Saturday night at American Family Field with a former clubhouse on one side of the ballpark and the Rays’ World Series hopes on the other. Milwaukee gave the right-hander his first Major League opportunity, but Tampa Bay is the club he is trying to carry back into the series after Friday’s 3-2 loss in Game 1.
Rasmussen and his wife, Stevie, had time to appreciate the strange turn before he headed to the park Friday. Had Milwaukee reached the Fall Classic against anybody but Tampa Bay, he said, he would have been pulling for the Brewers.
Instead, the American League champions will hand him Game 2 against the National League champions, with Tampa Bay looking to square the series on the road.
A Milwaukee beginning, then a return to Tampa Bay
- The Rays originally drafted Rasmussen with the 31st overall pick in 2017 out of Oregon State, but an elbow problem kept the sides from completing a deal. The injury led to his second Tommy John surgery.
- Rasmussen went back to Oregon State, then entered the 2018 Draft, when Milwaukee selected him in the sixth round despite the medical history.
- He reached the Majors with the Brewers two years later and built relationships that remain intact with players, coaches, staff and fans in Milwaukee.
- On May 21, 2021, the Brewers sent Rasmussen and reliever J.P. Feyereisen to Tampa Bay for shortstop Willy Adames and right-hander Trevor Richards.
- Rasmussen arrived with Milwaukee as a bullpen arm working largely off a sinker and slider. Under Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder, he expanded his repertoire and developed into one of the game’s top starters.
“It’s a really unique, really cool matchup,” Rasmussen said. “I’m excited for their fanbase and their organization, but at the end of the day, it is us they’re competing against, and we really want to win a World Series as well.”
His connection to Milwaukee remains personal, but his life has moved with the Rays. Rasmussen and Stevie have welcomed two children, Rhett and Miller, during their time in Tampa Bay.
Rasmussen said he remains thankful for the way the Brewers’ decision to draft him shaped his career, while also recognizing how fortunate he has been to land with the Rays after the trade.
The extra day matters
Tampa Bay’s choice of Nick Martinez for Game 1, rather than Rasmussen, raised some eyebrows when it was announced Thursday. The decision, however, gave Rasmussen five days between starts instead of four, matching the rest pattern he has followed for much of this season.
The Rays have been especially attentive to his workload after three major elbow operations. An internal brace procedure ended his 2023 season, and when he returned late in 2024, the club used him out of the bullpen.
| Rasmussen workload | Total |
|---|---|
| Regular-season starts | 30 |
| Regular-season innings | 172 |
| Postseason outings | 3 |
| Postseason innings | 21 |
That 193-inning total has pushed beyond his previous career high, and the Rays believe the additional recovery day gives him the best chance to remain sharp.
Manager Kevin Cash said the club wants Rasmussen “at full strength and feeling really good” when he takes the ball, adding that its experience and information have repeatedly shown the value of an extra day.
Right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. said the Rays’ response to the Game 1 setback is straightforward: trust Rasmussen, play sound defense and keep moving ahead as they have throughout the season.
Back in a familiar ballpark
American Family Field should not feel foreign to Rasmussen. In his second start of the regular season, he held Milwaukee to two runs, one earned, across five innings while striking out eight.
Outside of Tropicana Field, George M. Steinbrenner Field, Yankee Stadium and Rogers Centre, Rasmussen has worked more Major League innings in Milwaukee’s ballpark than anywhere else.
He also knows the crowd will be ready. The fans who once embraced him will be chasing the first World Series title in Brewers history, while Rasmussen will be trying to stop that celebration for at least one night.
“It’s going to be an electric environment,” he said. “I’m pretty positive the people of Wisconsin are very excited for this.”
