INSIDERNEWS: Two Years After a Devastating Injury, This Pitcher Faced His Demons in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, Ohio — For Rays pitcher Shane Baz, returning to Cincinnati on a summer Sunday stirs up some tough memories.

Back on July 10, 2022, Baz—then just 23—was making his sixth start of the season, and his first-ever appearance against the Reds. But during the fourth inning, he felt something wrong in his elbow. He knew instantly it was serious.

It turned out to be a torn UCL, requiring Tommy John surgery. The injury sidelined him for nearly two full years, and he didn’t return to a big-league mound until July 5, 2024.

“I don’t really take a step back often to reflect,” Baz said on Saturday ahead of his Sunday start in Cincinnati. “It feels like it happened just yesterday, but also forever ago. That day was probably the lowest point I’ve ever had in my career. It was a tough road back, but it’s meaningful to be able to say I’m now in a full-time big league rotation again.”

Watching from the sidelines while friends and teammates played was brutal, and Baz admitted there were dark days full of doubt.

“The worst part was all that missed time and sitting at home not knowing what the future held,” he said. “But that makes being back out there doing what I love even sweeter. It’s been a grind, but I’m grateful to be healthy and pitching consistently. Now I just want to prove the people who stuck with me were right to believe.”

Rays trainer Joe Benge joked with Baz when they arrived in Cincinnati this week: “Last time you were here it was a day game in July and it didn’t go well.” Baz agreed: “Yeah, it was a really bad day.”

In 2024, Baz made 14 starts, going 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA. Now making his 21st start of the season, he’s already thrown 114 innings, nearly matching the 119.2 innings he’d logged in his entire MLB career prior to this year. After such a long recovery, Baz now deeply appreciates every start.

“I’ve matured a lot,” said Baz, who was drafted 12th overall by the Pirates in 2017. “Spending time in the minors helped me grow. Back then, I was wide-eyed. Now, I know what my body needs between starts and how to prepare myself.”

The Rays have been struggling, going 7-17 since June 27, and losing five straight series—including 7-2 and 6-2 defeats this weekend at Great American Ball Park. They need a strong outing from Baz Sunday, with the trade deadline just days away and uncertainty over whether the front office plans to buy or sell.

“That’s just part of how our organization operates,” Baz said about the looming deadline. “But guys aren’t letting it be a distraction. We’re staying focused on each day. Having a game every day helps—we don’t have time to overthink it. We just need to keep playing our game and get back on track.”

Baz enters Sunday’s start with an 8-6 record and 4.66 ERA, ready to help turn things around.

“At this point, it’s about taking it one day at a time and doing everything we can to win that day,” Baz said. “There’s still a lot of belief in this clubhouse. We know what we’re capable of.”