Jake Odorizzi DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Tampa Bay Rays granted right-hander Jake Odorizzi (hamstring, shoulder) his release on Thursday. The veteran of 11 major-league seasons signed a minor-league deal with the Rays in mid-March and made two rehab starts with Triple-A Durham in hopes of getting back to the big leagues. Odorizzi missed all of the 2023 season while recovering from shoulder surgery and will now be looking for another opportunity with another organization in 2024. In his two minor-league starts with Durham, the 34-year-old didn't look good, giving up seven runs while walking five and striking out only two in 5 1/3 innings while being bothered by a hamstring injury. Even if he's healthy and gets a shot elsewhere, it's looking like an uphill battle for Odorizzi to get back to the majors this year.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that right-hander Jake Odorizzi (shoulder) will make a start for Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, April 2, and then the team will go "start-to-start" on deciding when/if they'll bring him to the major-league level. Not only did Odorizzi not sign with the Rays until March 15, but he didn't pitch at all in 2023 while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder. The 34-year-old veteran should eventually become a rotation option for Tampa this year, but he'll certainly be on an innings limit and already didn't come with much fantasy upside. The former first-rounder (32nd overall) of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008 went 6-6 with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves in his last season in 2022, sporting a 4.40 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 35 walks and 86 K's over 22 starts.

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi (shoulder) was scheduled to pitch in Tuesday's exhibition game at Tropicana Field against the Detroit Tigers rather than in a minor-league game on Wednesday. Odorizzi sees it as a truer test of his progress in what will be his first game pitched since Oct. of 2022 due to arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. The 33-year-old veteran signed with the Rays late in spring training this year and will begin the 2024 campaign in the minor leagues as a result. If Odorizzi doesn't have any setbacks with his shoulder, he should have a spot open for him in the rotation with both Shane Baz (elbow) and Taj Bradley (pectoral) recovering from injuries. Even in deeper fantasy leagues, managers will probably want to wait and see before trusting Odorizzi in starting lineups whenever he makes his 2024 debut.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times is reporting that starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi (shoulder) has returned to the Rays on a minor-league deal. Odorizzi spent 2023 recovering from shoulder surgery and last suited up in 2022 for the Atlanta Braves. The right-hander will return to familiar grounds with the club that he spent five of 11 seasons with. He does own a career 3.99 ERA, but this is merely a depth piece and he can be avoided in all fantasy formats for now.

Free-agent right-hander Jake Odorizzi (shoulder), who was an All-Star starter in 2019, is throwing without restrictions and is looking to sign a major-league deal in the coming weeks. The 33-year-old has pitched off a mound this offseason in front of evaluators from 10 to 12 big-league teams. Odorizzi had an arthroscopic debridement surgery on his right shoulder last April, which caused him to sit out all of the 2023 season. With the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves back in 2022, Odorizzi went 6-6 with a 4.40 ERA (4.28 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP while walking 35 and striking out 86 in 106 1/3 innings over 22 starts. It remains to be seen if he'll sign with a team in time to become a legitimate starting rotation option for the start of the 2024 season. Odorizzi was a first-time All-Star back in 2019 with the Minnesota Twins.