Rays Notebook: Glasnow Impressive in First Rehab Start in Durham
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow faced hitters in a real game for the first time in more than a year Wednesday night, throwing one inning for the Triple-A Durham Bulls.
Glasnow, the Rays' opening day starter in 2021, has missed all of the 2022 season after having Tommy John surgery on Aug. 4, 2021, after posting a 5-2 record with a 2.66 ERA in 14 starts. He is 16-4 with the Rays since 2019.
Glasnow pitched the first inning for Durham and threw 19 pitches. He had two strikeouts and a walk in his his first professional appearance in 450 days. Glasnow, who agreed to $30.35 million, two-year contract for 2023-24 on Aug. 26, is still hoping for a return this season if each outing continues to go well.
"I heard 19 pitches, two punch-outs, 97, 98, 99 (miles per hour on his fastball),'' Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "Good for him.''
The plan, depending on how he feels the next couple of days, is for him to pitch again for Durham early next week.
Wisler declines demotion, so Rays release him
Veteran relief pitcher Matt Wisler cleared waivers on Wednesday, but declined the Rays' offer to stay with the organization at the minor-league level in Durham. He was released, and is now a free agent and can sign with any team.
He would be ineligible to play with any other team in the postseason, however.
Wisler appeared in 39 games for the Rays this year, posting a 3-3 record with a 2.25 ERA. He went on the injured list in mid-July with a neck injury, and returned on Sept. 4 to pitch two innings against the New York Yankees, allowing just one hit.
He was a victim of a numbers game with so many Rays pitchers returning from injury. He was designated for assignment the same day that Yonny Chirinos returned. JT Chargois just came back last month, too.
Wisler will turn 30 years old on Sept. 12. Letting go wasn't easy, Cash said.
"That stunk. Wis has done a lot of good things since we acquired him,'' Cash said. "He's been a really good pitcher, but the timing of everything just wasn't ideal. We know he's a major-league pitcher.''
Franco gets 3 hits for Durham
Rays shortstop Wander Franco appears to be getting close to a return to the big leagues. He had three hits for Durham, and reported no issues with his surgically repaired wrist.
Franco, the 21-year-old sensation who signed a $182 million long-term deal in the offseason, has only played in 70 major-league games this season. He also missed time in May with hamstring and quadriceps injuries. He is hitting .260 with five home runs and 23 RBIs this season.
Around the horn
Drew Rasmussen was back in the Rays clubhouse on Wednesday, and got a bunch of congratulatory hugs from teammates after the birth of his son Rhett on Tuesday morning. Rasmussen missed his planned start on Tuesday night, but will travel with the team to New York on Thursday and is expected to start Friday's huge game with the Yankees. ... All-Star starter Shane McClanahan, on the injured list with a left shoulder impingement, threw 15 to 20 pitches off a bullpen mound, and is expected to throw again this week. He is on pace to return on Sept. 15. ... Brandon Lowe was reinstated on Wednesday and was back in the starting lineup. He batted second and was 0-for-3 with a strikeout. ... The Rays are off on Thursday, and will play a three-game series in New York against the Yankees starting on Friday night. The Rays are five games behind them in the American League East race. ... While the Rays were sweeping the Red Sox, the Yankees have won three straight against the Twins, including a doubleheader on Wednesday. The Yankees and Twins play again on Thursday.
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Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.