Fastball

Former Top Prospect Set to Make Long-Awaited Return For Tampa Bay Rays

For the first time in 727 days, Tampa Bay Rays' pitcher Shane Baz is set to take the field on a major-league mound. The Rays are taking on the Texas Rangers, the team that eliminated them in the AL Wild Card series a year ago.

Brady Farkas

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (11) looks on against the Toronto Blue Jays after the fourth inning at Rogers Centre in 2022.
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (11) looks on against the Toronto Blue Jays after the fourth inning at Rogers Centre in 2022. / Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Former top prospect Shane Baz is set to make his long-awaited return to a big-league mound on Friday night when the Tampa Bay Rays visit the defending World Champion Texas Rangers.

It's been 727 days days since Baz last appeared at the major league level. He's been recovering from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in 2022.

Per the Durham Bulls on social media:

Right-hander Shane Baz has been recalled to Tampa Bay, returning to pitch for the Rays for the 1st time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2022.

Welcome back to The Show, Shane!

Baz was ranked as the Rays' No. 1 prospect in the 2022 season and was No. 12 overall in baseball that same year. The 25-year-old debuted in 2021, making three starts. He made six more in 2022. Lifetime, he's 3-2 at the big-league level with a 4.02 ERA. Armed with massive weapons, he's struck out 48 batters in 40.1 big league innings.

On his rehab assignment this year with Durham, he went 3-3 with a 4.12 ERA in 10 starts. However, he was much better recently, as noted by fantasy baseball expert Eric Cross:

Shane Baz is taking over the vacant spot in Tampa Bay's rotation and will start Friday.

Last 5 GS in AAA: 23 IP, 1.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 10.4% BB, 36.5% K

The Rays are going to be careful with him, but the upside is massive.

The Rays will be looking for revenge on the Rangers this weekend as Texas eliminated them from the American League playoffs last season. Tampa Bay enters this matchup at 44-43 overall. They are 3.5 games back in the AL wild card chase.

Texas is 39-48 and has lost eight of its last 10.

First pitch is set for 8:05 p.m. ET.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Published |Modified
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

Home/News