Drew Rasmussen is the absolute worst guy the Yankees could see right now. He's 4-1 with a 1.03 career ERA against New York and 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in three starts at Yankee Stadium. Pair that with a 1.00 WHIP and a .213 opponent average on the season and you've got the Rays' best card to play in a building they don't usually love.
Ryan Weathers counters for a Yankees rotation that has been gutted. Max Fried is on the IL with a left elbow bone bruise, Clarke Schmidt is still on the 60-day, and the lineup is missing Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Dominguez. Weathers' 3.58 ERA undersells him — his xFIP sits at 2.76 — but he's the guy now because there aren't a lot of other options.
- Day-To-DayAustin Vernon (RP) — The Rays have shut Vernon down from throwing due to right elbow soreness, per MLB.com.05/08
- Day-To-DayLogan Driscoll (C) — The Rays released Driscoll (ankle) on Friday, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayKeyshawn Askew (RP) — no05/08
- Day-To-DayTre' Morgan (1B) — Triple-A Durham placed Morgan on the 7-day injured list with a quad injury, Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayAlfredo Zarraga (RP) — no05/08
- Day-To-DayTJ Nichols (P) — Double-A Montgomery placed Nichols on its 7-day injured list April 7 due to an unspecified injury.05/08
- 10-Day-ILBen Williamson (2B) — Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Williamson is not in the lineup for Monday's game versus the Orioles due to back tightness, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.05/20
- 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.05/18
- 10-Day-ILGavin Lux (LF) — The Rays pulled Lux (shoulder/ankle) off his rehab assignment Tuesday due to a left shoulder injury, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.05/12
- 15-Day-ILCole Sulser (RP) — Sulser earned the save Tuesday against the Blue Jays, retiring the side in order in the ninth inning.05/18
- OutJonny DeLuca (RF) — DeLuca was removed from Friday's game against the Yankees with an apparent lower-body injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.05/23
- 60-Day-ILSteven Wilson (RP) — The Rays placed Wilson (back) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILRyan Pepiot (SP) — Pepiot will undergo surgery on his right hip May 13 and miss the rest of the 2026 season, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILMichael Grove (RP) — Grove (shoulder) is scheduled to face hitters this weekend, MLB.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILManuel Rodriguez (RP) — The Rays placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILEdwin Uceta (RP) — The Rays transferred Uceta (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayTravis MacGregor (SP) — MacGregor underwent Tommy John surgery last September and will miss the entire 2019 season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILJasson Dominguez (LF) — Dominguez (shoulder) resumed hitting off a tee Wednesday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.05/20
- 10-Day-ILGiancarlo Stanton (DH) — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Stanton (calf) is doing "more dynamic stuff" but isn't yet ready to ramp up running, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.05/18
- 15-Day-ILMax Fried (SP) — The Yankees placed Fried on the 15-day injured list Friday due to a left elbow bone bruise, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.05/15
- 15-Day-ILAngel Chivilli (RP) — Manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Chivilli (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for roughly three weeks, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILClarke Schmidt (SP) — Schmidt (elbow) threw a bullpen session Friday, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.05/08
Tampa isn't perfectly healthy either. Ryan Pepiot is done for the year after hip surgery, Jake Fraley needs surgery on a hernia, and Jonny DeLuca was pulled from Friday's game with a lower-body issue and is out for this one. The Rays just keep winning anyway, which is the most Rays sentence you can write.
The market has the Yankees as modest home favorites, which makes sense on paper and ignores how Rasmussen has historically chewed this lineup up. With the total kicking around 7, this profiles as a low-scoring afternoon — exactly the kind of game Tampa Bay has been winning for a month. The Yankees need to make it ugly early or this series goes home with the visitors.