Fresh off a sweep of the Cardinals, a resurgent Yankees squad is heading to Tampa for a two-game set against the division rival Rays. Tampa Bay has played a game below .500 since dropping three of four against the Yankees at the end of July, falling 6.5 games behind the Yankees for the third AL Wild Card spot. One storyline to watch — neither Aaron Judge nor Giancarlo Stanton played any outfield in St. Louis, with the former still working his way back from a right elbow flexor strain and the latter
dealing with lower body soreness. With the Rays playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field this season, a ballpark which mimics Yankee Stadium’s dimensions, it would be an ideal scenario to insert the mobility-challenged Stanton if his health permits. Let’s take a look at the likely pitching matchups for this brief midweek series.
Tuesday: Carlos Rodón vs. Shane Baz (7:35 pm ET)
Carlos Rodón has taken a step back from his All-Star first half, posting a 4.00 ERA and 4.89 FIP in five starts since the break. Most concerning has been his control, with the veteran walking 17 in 27 innings after permitting 41 free passes in 119.2 frames during the first half. He looked sharper his last time out, though, holding the Twins to one run on a single hit (and two walks) across seven innings of work in the victory. Given Max Fried’s recent slide and injuries to several other key contributors, Carlos Rodón has clearly been the Yankees’ most consistent starter this year, ranking 11th in the AL among pitchers with 3.3 bWAR.
He’s lined up to face Shane Baz. After a dynamic 2024 in which he accumulated 2.2 bWAR in just 14 starts, the 26-year-old has stumbled this season, posting a 4.93 ERA and 83 ERA+ through 135 innings. The main culprit has been his slider. Last season, the pitch was Baz’s second-most used and held batters to a .164 average. Opponents are hitting .429 against the slider with six homers despite the fact that the right-hander has thrown the ball just 82 times, scrapping the pitch after a June 4th outing against the Rangers. Even with the slider cast aside, Baz has allowed at least four runs in four of his last five starts.
Wednesday: Cam Schlittler vs. Drew Rasmussen (7:35 pm ET)
Cam Schlittler had his best start in the bigs his last time out, allowing one run on two hits across five innings against the Twins. He only lasted 86 pitches that game after throwing into the 90s each of his two prior outings, indicating he has more in the tank. Overall, the 24-year-old has had a solid start to his MLB career, posting a 3.94 ERA while striking out more than a batter per inning through his first six starts. His four-seamer has been, by far, his most valuable weapon; opponents are slugging just .365 against the pitch.
The Rays are scheduled to throw Drew Rasmussen on Wednesday. After missing time to injury each of the past two seasons, the 30-year-old is in the midst of a career year, going 10-5 with a 2.60 ERA en route to his first All-Star berth. Only 14 individual pitches have been more impactful by run value this season than Rasmussen’s cutter, against which batters are hitting .176. He’s been particularly hot of late, allowing just one earned run in 17.1 innings across his last three outings combined.