|TAMPA — Drew Rasmussen is meticulous in his preparation and planning, accounting for just about every contingency.

But this one was out of his control.

He already had put three zeroes on the scoreboard when Tuesday’s game was delayed by rain with the Rays batting in the bottom of the third inning.

Since recovering from his third major elbow surgery (the result of a May 2023 injury), returning to the team in August as a reliever then rejoining the rotation this season, Rasmussen has received special handling, whether he wanted it or not.

So, as he huddled in the Steinbrenner Field weight room with team staff as the rain fell, he knew there would be a limit to how long he’d be allowed to sit out before being taken out.

“We were talking it through, we had kind of a drop-dead time where,

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