Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz has claimed the fifth spot in the Tampa starting rotation after Aaron Civale was traded to Milwaukee, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Civale was originally scheduled to make his next start on Friday, so fantasy managers should pay close attention, as Baz could be making his 2024 major league debut in the coming days. The 25-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and has yet to return to the major leagues ever since. In 39 innings at Triple-A this season, Baz has posted a 4.12 ERA and 1.58 WHIP with a 23:44 BB:K ratio. However, in his past 23 innings, he has begun to showcase his elite upside with an excellent 1.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 10:35 BB:K ratio. Baz should be rostered in all formats due to his high-upside strikeout potential.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Aaron Civale was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, July 3, in exchange for infielder Gregory Barrios. Civale has struggled in his first season in Tampa Bay with a poor 5.07 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. Barrios was ranked as the 21st-best prospect in the Milwaukee system on MLB Pipeline prior to the trade and now slots in at No. 19 in the Tampa Bay system. In 61 games at High-A this season, the 20-year-old has performed very well with a .325/.367/.429 slash line. Civale should be expected to slot into Milwaukee's starting rotation immediately. Rays 25-year-old Shane Baz now has an excellent opportunity to join the major-league roster due to the departure of Civale. In his past five starts at Triple-A, Baz has posted a stellar 1.57 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with an eye-catching 35 strikeouts in just 23 innings. He is a must-roster playing going forward, as he has immense strikeout upside.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz was scratched from his start on Tuesday evening at Triple-A Durham as he may be needed to provide depth on the major league roster, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays are scheduled to play against the Royals on Wednesday and Thursday, but there are concerns about rain, and the teams may have to play a doubleheader on one of those days. As a result, this could present Baz an opportunity to make his 2024 major league debut. Since allowing six runs on May 28, the 25-year-old right-hander has looked dominant with a 1.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 10:35 BB:K ratio across 23 frames at Triple-A. Baz underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and has yet to return to the major leagues. The former first-round selection has elite strikeout potential and is worth checking your waiver wire for, as he could be a valuable pitcher during the second half of the summer in all formats.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz had another strong showing at Triple-A Durham this past Wednesday, throwing 93 pitches (59 strikes) in five innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven. Baz has now started ten games for Durham, allowing two runs or less in the last five and striking out 44 batters in 39 1/3 innings. Baz is stretched out and has nothing left to prove in the minors, so while it is somewhat perplexing that he hasn't been called up yet, it is only a matter of time. Fantasy managers in need of some pitching should stash the 25-year-old, who is available in 44% of Yahoo leagues.

Through four starts in June, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz has been impeccable with Triple-A Durham. He's thrown 18 innings, with a 1.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 28:8 K/BB ratio. His fastball is reaching the upper 90s and his breaking balls have been electric. When he'll be promoted to the Rays' rotation hasn't been announced, but it should only be a matter of time before he's back in the big leagues. If one of the team's starters has to miss any time, Baz should be first in line to take their place. Overall, he's worthy of holding onto in most leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz made his ninth start with Triple-A Durham following Tommy John surgery on Thursday, striking out six over three scoreless innings of work. Baz did give up four hits and three walks on Thursday, but this was still an excellent follow-up performance to his last outing on Friday, when he punched out eight across six frames of one-run ball. The 25-year-old former top prospect looks to be ready to roll when the Rays inevitably recall him from the minor leagues later this summer, but the tricky part is trying to figure out when that might happen. Baz is a bit tougher to stash in redraft fantasy leagues, since he cannot be put on an injured-list spot at this point, and Tampa Bay seems to be comfortable with the five-man rotation they currently employ.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz posted another dominant outing at Triple-A on Friday evening, where he tossed six one-run frames with eight punchouts and allowed just four hits and one free pass. Baz carried his momentum from his previous outing, where he struck out 10 batters across five one-run innings on June 8. The 24-year-old has now completed his extensive Tommy John recovery process and is on the verge of returning to the major leagues. He has not pitched in Tampa Bay since the 2022 season, where he logged just 27 innings, and should be on his way back to the majors very soon. He is a must-stash candidate in all leagues, as he possesses elite strikeout upside.

The Tampa Bay Rays reinstated left-hander Shane Baz (elbow) from the 15-day injured list on Thursday and optioned him to Triple-A Durham. Baz is finally nearing a return after opening the year on the IL as he recovers from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in July of 2022. Although he's already made four minor-league rehab starts for the Durham Bulls, the Rays aren't going to rush him back and want to see more before they consider returning him to their big-league starting rotation later this season. In his four rehab starts for Triple-A, the 24-year-old southpaw had a 6.00 ERA and 1.92 WHIP with 22 walks and eight strikeouts in 12 innings. Baz's control could take a while to return as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. Fantasy managers are going to want to temper expectations after Baz missed all of last year.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (elbow) looked sharp during his fourth minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, giving up one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts over four innings. This was Baz's fourth start in the minors as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, so there's an outside chance that his next appearance will come in the major-league rotation after tossing 76 pitches on Wednesday. In all likelihood, however, Baz will throw in one more rehab game before likely rejoining the Rays in early June. For his big-league career, the 24-year-old former top prospect sports an encouraging 4.02 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while punching out 48 and walking 12 through 40 1/3 frames (nine starts) for Tampa Bay. Baz is worth stashing in the majority of competitive fantasy leagues with his return on the horizon.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (elbow) made his third minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Durham on Thursday, throwing 3 1/3 innings while allowing one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Baz threw 69 pitches on Thursday as he continues on the road to recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he'll likely need another appearance or two in the minors to sharpen things up before rejoining Tampa Bay's injury-riddled rotation. The 24-year-old former top prospect should be able to return before the end of May at this rate, so he's worth a stash in the majority of fantasy leagues. For his major-league career, Baz features a promising 4.02 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while fanning 48 and walking 12 through 40 1/3 frames (nine starts) for the Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (elbow) threw 59 pitches across 1 2/3 innings on Friday in a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Durham. Baz was expected to go a bit longer in this start but ran into some trouble. He allowed three earned runs, one hit, and five free passes. He struck out one. While this was not the performance Baz expected, he did add 20 pitches to his pitch count compared to his previous rehab outing of 39. The 24-year-old has not started a major-league game since July 10, 2022. Fantasy managers should expect Baz back on a major-league mound before the end of the month but should tamper their expectations, as the Rays will likely lean on the side of caution with their young, hard-throwing right-hander.

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Shane Baz (elbow) gave up three runs on three hits over three innings while walking one and striking out none in his first minor-league rehab assignment for Triple-A Durham on Saturday. Twenty-two of his 39 pitches went for strikes, and his four-seam fastball topped out at 97.1 mph. The 24-year-old missed all of last year after having Tommy John surgery. He was never expected to have a significant workload in 2024 after missing so much time, especially after he dealt with two minor oblique setbacks during his comeback. He essentially began his buildup after spring training ended and was put on the 15-day injured list on March 26. Baz will likely need several more rehab starts before Tampa thinks about activating him. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues need to temper their expectations for Baz in 2024 in his first season coming off Tommy John surgery.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (elbow) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment either on Friday or Saturday with Triple-A Durham. After throwing two innings in an extended spring game last Wednesday, Baz pitched in another spring outing on Monday as he continues to build up his pitch count from Tommy John surgery. While it's unclear how far out he is from making his 2024 regular-season debut, the 24-year-old former top prospect should be able to rejoin Tampa Bay's injury-depleted rotation before the end of May. Baz owns a strong 28.9% strikeout rate in 40 1/3 career innings (nine starts), which makes him a worthy stash in all fantasy leagues. Veteran right-hander Zack Littell holds a respectable 3.27 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 35:5 K:BB over 33 frames (six starts) for the Rays this season, and he'll be a decent streaming option in Saturday's scheduled home start versus the New York Mets.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitchers Taj Bradley (pectoral) and Shane Baz (elbow) recently threw a two-inning live batting practice session, manager Kevin Cash said on Friday. Sidelined for the past month due to a strained right pectoral, Bradley still has to go through the process of rebuilding his stamina and increasing his pitch count before he's ready to return. The 23-year-old right-hander fanned 129 batters across his 104 2/3 innings of work during his rookie year in 2023, but he gave 23 home runs in 21 starts and posted a poor 5.59 ERA. Bradley is probably about a month out from returning to the Rays, while Baz could return at some point in May after two oblique setbacks slowed his progress from Tommy John surgery recovery. Zack Littell and Tyler Alexander will occupy rotation spots in the meantime, with the former having only given up two runs through his first 15 1/3 frames of the campaign.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said on Tuesday that starting pitcher Shane Baz (oblique) "felt his oblique again a little bit" at the end of his latest live batting practice session, and he will be re-evaluated on Thursday. The issue isn't expected to be a significant setback, but it marks the second time within the previous month that Baz's buildup for the season following 2022 Tommy John surgery has been affected by an oblique injury. Baz missed the entire 2023 season and will be limited this season, but the 24-year-old former No. 12 overall pick has a promising 4.02 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 48:12 K:BB over 40 1/3 career major-league innings. Barring another setback, Baz could be an option for the Rays and fantasy managers around mid-May and is still worth a stash in most mixed leagues.

The Tampa Bay Rays officially placed right-handers Shane Baz (elbow) and Taj Bradley (pectoral) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, retroactive to March 25. Baz, 24, also dealt with an oblique injury in spring training as he attempts to return from Tommy John surgery in September of 2022. After not pitching at all in 2023, Baz is certainly going to be limited in what he can do for both the Rays and fantasy managers this year, and there's no specific timetable for when he might make his 2024 debut. A return at some point this summer is most likely. Bradley, 23, was diagnosed with a pectoral strain on March 13. He also doesn't have a specific timetable for a return, but he should be back before Baz. There's a lot to like about his strikeout upside, but he gave up too many homers and struggled with his command in his rookie season in 2023.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz (elbow), who has been working his way back from Tommy John surgery, was close to throwing his first live batting practice session but "tweaked an oblique picking up a weight." It's estimated that the 24-year-old will be delayed in his throwing progression by about a week now. Baz wasn't going to be ready by Opening Day anyway, but this would seemingly push back the start of his regular season debut as well, whenever that might be. As of now, the former first-round draft pick is projected to make 16 starts, but his NFBC ADP of 211 is looking very pricey.

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Shane Baz (elbow) threw his first bullpen session of spring training on Friday and said it went "great." Baz is being brought along slowly in camp after having Tommy John surgery in September of 2022, and he's targeting a late-summer return to the Rays pitching staff after not pitching at all in 2023. The 24-year-old has only made nine big-league starts (40 1/3 innings) in 2021 and 2022, which is the primary reason the Rays aren't in a rush to bring him back this year. In those nine starts, he's gone 3-2 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 12 walks and 48 strikeouts. Baz has never thrown more than 82 innings in the minors. either, and with durability concerns, he's really not worth the risk in most fantasy leagues with an innings limit to boot in 2024.

Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said that right-hander Shane Baz (elbow) has completed his rehab. However, his issue is a lack of past workload, so he will be on a slow buildup coming out of spring training. The 24-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery almost 17 months ago and didn't pitch at all in 2023. In two big-league seasons prior to that, he only made nine starts covering 40 1/3 innings pitched, so he will surely be on a strict innings limit this season. Baz has a 4.02 ERA (4.30 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with 12 walks and 48 strikeouts in his 40 1/3 major-league innings. Dating back to his time in the minors, Baz hasn't thrown more than 82 innings in any season, so fantasy managers need to temper their expectations in deeper leagues in 2024.