On the eve of a possible final chapter, the Tampa Bay Rays turn to Drew Rasmussen, their steadiest arm all season, to keep their World Series alive against Milwaukee. He takes the mound on three days' rest, a condition he has never faced in 2026, carrying both the team's hopes and the weight of a shaky Game 1 he is eager to answer. Across a long baseball year, the moment reminds us how often a single night asks someone to become the person they have been all along.
Rays Tab Drew Rasmussen for Must-Win World Series Game 5 vs. Brewers on Short Rest
Rasmussen will work on three days' rest, something he has not done at any point this year.
Mark
Why is this start such a big deal? Teams use short rest in elimination games all the time, don't they?
Mimi
Maybe, but for Rasmussen it's a first this year. He has never pitched on three days' rest this season, and he's doing it with the Rays one loss from being finished.
Mark
And he's coming off a rough Game 2, right?
Mimi
Yes. Six hits and three runs in 3.2 innings, a 5-4 loss. It was his shakiest outing in months, after allowing only three runs across his first three playoff starts.
Luke
Worth noting the Rays chose Martinez for Game 1 even though Rasmussen could have gone on full rest. The reporting doesn't say why.
Mark
So we don't know the reasoning behind that choice.
Luke
Right. We know what happened, not the thinking behind it.
Mark
What about Rasmussen saying he's "smoking hot"?
Mimi
That's his own read of how he feels. He also said they hadn't talked yet, so it came before anything was official.
Luke
And Cash saying he's "100 percent on board" is the manager's description. It tells us about willingness, not about how his arm will hold up.
Mark
Is there a pitch limit?
Luke
Unknown. Cash declined to say whether one exists. Martinez being available out of the bullpen is the only concrete safety net we have.
Mimi
And across from him is Misiorowski, pitching on four days' rest after a one-run Game 1 win.
Der Puls
- Tampa Bay survived a 12-inning, 4-3 win that kept them from being swept, but now every remaining pitch carries elimination stakes.
- Rasmussen, unbeaten in spirit and coming off a rough Game 1, will start on three days' rest for the first time this year.
- Manager Kevin Cash is keeping his pitch limit secret while Nick Martinez waits in the bullpen as a ready backup.
- Milwaukee stands one win from its first championship in franchise history, sending Jacob Misiorowski, the favorite for the NL Cy Young, to the mound.
- First pitch arrives at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, and the Series will either stretch on or end in Milwaukee.
On the eve of a possible final chapter, the Tampa Bay Rays turn to Drew Rasmussen, their steadiest arm all season, to keep their World Series alive against Milwaukee. He takes the mound on three days' rest, a condition he has never faced in 2026, carrying both the team's hopes and the weight of a shaky Game 1 he is eager to answer. Across a long baseball year, the moment reminds us how often a single night asks someone to become the person they have been all along.
On Wednesday night the Tampa Bay Rays will hand the ball to Drew Rasmussen with their season on the line. Manager Kevin Cash has named him the Game 5 starter against the Milwaukee Brewers, and he will pitch on three days' rest, something he has never done this year.
The choice came after a long Tuesday. Tampa Bay avoided a sweep with a 4-3 win in 12 innings, and Rasmussen, who expected to be in the plan, said he felt great and was probably feeling "smoking hot." He has been the anchor of the rotation all season, with a 2.67 ERA and a career-high 172 innings, and he carried that form into October.
Game 1 went differently. Tampa Bay chose Nick Martinez to start that night, and when Rasmussen took the ball later he gave up three runs in 3.2 innings of a 5-4 loss. Wednesday is his chance to answer, with much less room for error. Cash says Rasmussen is fully on board, and Martinez is ready in the bullpen if things go wrong. Cash would not reveal a pitch limit.
Milwaukee is one win from its first World Series title, and will start Jacob Misiorowski, the favorite for the NL Cy Young. First pitch is at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. A Rays win extends the Series; a Brewers win ends it.
On Wednesday night, the Tampa Bay Rays will hand the ball to Drew Rasmussen with their season on the line. The team named him its Game 5 starter against the Milwaukee Brewers, a must-win game in the World Series. Rasmussen will work on three days' rest, something he has not done at any point this year.
The decision follows a long Tuesday night. Tampa Bay avoided a sweep by beating Milwaukee 4-3 in 12 innings. Afterward, Rasmussen said he expected to be the one starting the next game. He told ESPN's Jorge Castillo he was probably "smoking hot," admitted he and the team had not yet spoken, and said he felt great. He added that the staff would likely kick around some ideas, but he assumed he was in the plan.
He has been the anchor of the Rays' rotation. This season Rasmussen posted a 2.67 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP across a career-high 172 innings. The two-time All-Star carried that form into October, allowing just three runs over his first three playoff starts.
The World Series began differently. Tampa Bay could have started Rasmussen on full rest in Game 1, but it chose Nick Martinez instead. Rasmussen pitched the next game and turned in his shakiest outing in months. He gave up six hits and three runs in 3.2 innings of a 5-4 loss to the Brewers. Wednesday gives him a chance to answer that performance, with far less margin for error.
Manager Kevin Cash told reporters that Rasmussen was "100 percent on board" with pitching on short rest. Martinez is available out of the bullpen, which gives Cash an option if the start goes badly. Cash would not say whether Rasmussen has a pitch limit. Speaking to MLB.TV's Ryan Bass, he said he wouldn't share the answer even if he had one, and that Rasmussen would take the ball and give the team what he can.
On the other side, Milwaukee is one win from its first World Series title in franchise history. The Brewers will start Jacob Misiorowski, the presumptive favorite for the NL Cy Young Award. He will pitch four days after allowing one run in Milwaukee's Game 1 win.
First pitch of Game 5 is at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. If Tampa Bay wins, the Series continues. If Milwaukee does, it ends there.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I'm probably smoking hot, would be my guess.— Drew Rasmussen, per ESPN's Jorge Castillo
Rasmussen is 100 percent on board with pitching on short rest.— Rays manager Kevin Cash
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