Rays resilient starter Drew Rasmussen will face Royals southpaw in MLB debut

San Diego Padres v Tampa Bay Rays
San Diego Padres v Tampa Bay Rays | Julio Aguilar/GettyImages

The Rays snapped their incredible 5 game winning streak yesterday against a red-hot Royals club. The best way to reset after losing a beneficial streak is to build another streak of a similar fashion. This could very well start tonight as Rays distinguished starter Drew Rasmussen will face brand new left-hander Noah Cameron in his major league debut. Hopefully, Tampa Bay hitters can establish a "Welcome to the Big Leagues" party for the 25-year old Royals southpaw.

Left-handed hurler Noah Cameron will make his first MLB start tonight against the Rays. The Missouri native was drafted by his home state club, the Kansas City Royals in the 7th round of the 2021 draft.

Cameron pitched through three hard-fought seasons in the Royals farm system. He accrued a respectable 3.92 ERA in a total of 324 innings. The lefty used a combination of reputable control and solid off-speed pitches to produce over 400 strikeouts in his minor league career. This was obviously against less experienced competition, but if his stuff translates to the Show, then the Rays could be in for a difficult game.

Toeing the rubber for the "good guys" will be right-hander Drew Rasmussen. The former Milwaukee Brewer has been off to a fantastic start to the 2025 season. After appearing in less than 50 innings and making only 12 starts the last two seasons, the Washington native has played above expectations after recovering from his third Tommy John surgery.

In 25.2 innings of work, Rasmussen has a 1-1 record and he's given up only six runs. That total amounts to a 2.10 ERA which is sixth best among AL starters. The accomplished hurler is also top 10 in the league in HR/9 as he's given up only one homer this season. Rays fans are excited to watch this hard-working pitcher continue his successful path the rest of the season.

Tonight's game is between two of the most talented AL clubs this season as the Royals have climbed back to .500 after last night's victory. Superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is on a tear as he increased his league-high hitting streak to 20 games yesterday. It will be a task to control his bat and come out on top with the depth of their remaining lineup.

The Rays have the challenge of facing a left-handed pitcher in tonight's contest. In 261 at-bats against lefties, they're hitting a lackluster .207 with only 15 extra-base hits. Unfortunately, the right-handed bats in Tampa's lineup are on the weaker side, so hopefully they can step it up against the youngster, Noah Cameron.

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