Tampa Bay dropped the opener 4-3 on Monday and now sends its best arm to the mound to avoid going down 2-0 in LA. Rasmussen (6-2, 2.71) is coming off seven scoreless and 13 punchouts against Boston on June 10, the kind of start that turns a good year into an All-Star case. Wrobleski (7-2, 2.95) goes for the Dodgers on 4 days' rest — a rarity in their 6-man rotation, but they're shuffling him up so Ohtani stays on his weekly schedule.
Wrobleski's last outing was a clunker — 4.2 innings, 4 earned, 1 strikeout against the Pirates — and he took a comebacker off the right hamstring before exiting. He's cleared to start, but the Rays' lineup just put 8 on the Angels on Sunday and has a much sharper bat than Pittsburgh. If Wrobleski's command isn't there early, this thing tilts fast in a hurry. Tommy Edman is expected back off the 60-day IL on Tuesday, which gives the Dodgers a real second baseman and lengthens the order a notch.
Tampa's been a weird watch lately — 2-3 in the last 5 with the offense oscillating between 8-run outbursts and shutouts. They got no-hit through what felt like forever in Anaheim, then turned around and hung 8 on the Angels the next day. The Dodgers are 3-2 in their last 5 and just dropped a road series in Chicago to the White Sox, which is the kind of result that ages badly if it keeps happening. Both teams should be locked in for this one.
- Day-To-DayAustin Vernon RP — The Rays have shut Vernon down from throwing due to right elbow soreness, per MLB.com.
- Day-To-DayAlfredo Zarraga RP — no
- 10-Day-ILJonny DeLuca RF — DeLuca (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
- 10-Day-ILJake Fraley RF — Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Fraley (hernia) will require surgery and will face a recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
- 15-Day-ILJesse Scholtens RP — Scholtens was charged with a blown save and dropped to 5-3 on the season in Monday's 9-7 loss to the Orioles in 13 innings after yielding five runs (three earned) on four hits across 1.1 frames. He struck out one batter.
- 60-Day-ILGavin Lux LF — Lux (shoulder) is scheduled to take live batting practice against teammate Craig Kimbrel (wrist) on Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
- 60-Day-ILJonathan Heasley RP — Heasley was returned to the major-league roster and placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right elbow stress reaction.
- 60-Day-ILManuel Rodriguez RP — Rodriguez (elbow) has no timetable to progress to facing live hitters, MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayJustin Wrobleski SP — Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Wrobleski (hamstring) is expected to be able to make his next start, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.
- Day-To-DayChris Campos SP
- 10-Day-ILTeoscar Hernandez LF — Hernandez (hamstring) is expected to ramp up his baseball activities this week, and if all goes well, he could be sent out on a rehab assignment by the weekend, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
- 10-Day-ILWill Smith C — The Dodgers will place Smith (neck) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
- 10-Day-ILEnrique Hernandez 1B — Hernandez is expected to be out for 6-to-8 weeks after sustaining a "significant tear" of his left oblique during Tuesday's 15-6 win over the Rockies, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILBrock Stewart RP — Stewart (foot) will begin a rehab assignment at Single-A Ontario on Friday.
- 60-Day-ILTyler Glasnow SP — Glasnow (back) has yet to resume throwing, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
- 60-Day-ILEdwin Diaz RP — Diaz (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session this week, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
The injury sheet is where this matchup gets really interesting. The Dodgers are still without Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernandez and Will Smith, and the bullpen has been carrying water all year with Phillips, Graterol, and Casparius all on the IL. Tampa lost Ryan Pepiot for the season to hip surgery back in May, which is exactly why a Rasmussen start carries this much weight right now. Neither team is at full strength — the Dodgers are just better at hiding it because the lineup is the lineup.
First pitch is 7:10 PM PT. Rays need this one — getting swept on the road by a 46-27 Dodgers club is the kind of week that flips the AL East race, and they've got their guy on the mound to make sure it doesn't happen.