Rasmus is out of the lineup Thursday against the Royals.

EDGE Analysis

Rasmus has been on a tear since making his season debut May 2 after a bout with a groin injury, accumulating five extra-base hits (including three homers) in 25 at-bats while supplying eight RBI and seven runs. He looks to have entrenched himself as the Rays' primary option in left field, but he'll still occasionally sit out against tough lefties like Jason Vargas, who will take the hill for the Royals in the series finale. Peter Bourjos enters the lineup in Rasmus' place and will bat ninth.

Rasmus went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and a second run scored in Wednesday's 12-1 rout of the Royals.

EDGE Analysis

The left fielder got a late start to the season but has quickly joined in the long ball parade, hitting three homers in eight games since coming off the DL to give him a fantastic .320/.433/.800 slash line. His track record says the batting average will come down, but Rasmus has the pop to record his fifth career 20-home run season if he continues seeing steady playing time.

Rasmus went 1-for-3 with three walks and two runs in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Royals.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran outfielder has now hit safely in four straight games, a stretch that includes a pair of home runs and four RBI. Rasmus is off to a solid start with the Rays after finally making his debut on May 2 following a long absence due to a groin injury.

Rasmus went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a triple during Monday's loss to Kansas City.

EDGE Analysis

After missing the first month of the season, Rasmus is just settling in with the Rays. He's registered three extra-base hits during an active three-game hitting streak with two runs and four RBI. The veteran outfielder is notoriously streaky and could be in the begging stages of a nice run at the dish. While he'll probably only start against right-handed pitchers, Rasmus offers power upside and can pile up counting stats in a hurry when he's in a groove.

Rasmus went 1-for-4 with a homer and three RBI Saturday against the Blue Jays.

EDGE Analysis

Rasmus launched his first bomb of the year in the sixth inning to extend the Rays lead in a winning effort. Over the past five seasons, he's typically good for roughly 20 homers, and it took him just eight at-bats with his new team to get one. He should be a cheap source of power for fantasy owners who need some pop in their lineups.

Rasmus is not in the lineup Friday against the Blue Jays.

EDGE Analysis

Rasmus is expected to play regularly in left field against right-handers, but he'll take a seat Friday with southpaw Francisco Liriano headed to the mound for the Blue Jays. The 30-year-old hasn't collected a hit in two games since returning from the DL, though he has drawn two walks and scored a run.

Rasmus will make his Rays outfield debut Thursday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran will finally don a glove for the big-league club, although he'll do it in right field instead of left on Thursday. Corey Dickerson, who's played a better left field than anticipated as per manager Kevin Cash, will occupy that spot against the Marlins so that the Rays can continue working Evan Longoria back into the lineup at designated hitter. Rasmus will eventually take the reins in left, joining Kevin Kiermaier and Steven Souza, Jr. to form a formidable defensive trio.

Rasmus will be the Rays' primary left fielder when the team faces right-handed pitching, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rasmus could see occasional time against southpaws as well, but the expectation is that he'll form a platoon with Corey Dickerson in left field. Rasmus had a tough time staying on the field in 2016 and played in just 107 games, during which he hit .206/.286/.355, all of which were his lowest marks since entering the league in 2009.

Rasmus (groin) was activated from the DL on Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rasmus has yet to play in the majors this season, as he opened the year on the disabled list with a groin injury. He's played in seven rehab games between High-A Charlotte and Double-A Montgomery. In said outings, Rasmus struggled at the plate and went just 2-for-23 (.087) in that time. Now that Rasmus has been activated, he figures to provide depth in the outfield and see occasional playing time when Steven Souza or Corey Dickerson need a day to rest.

Rasmus (groin) took batting practice with the Rays in Miami on Monday and could be activated from the 10-day disabled list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Marlins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

There was some thought that the Rays might activate Rasmus in advance of the series opener Monday in the event Steven Souza (hand) was unavailable, but the team elected to push back Rasmus' return date after Souza was cleared to return to the lineup. Assuming that Rasmus came out of the batting practice session without incident, the Rays could finally clear him to rejoin the 25-man roster, which would likely be facilitated by designating Shane Peterson for assignment. Rasmus isn't expected to assume an everyday role for the Rays, but he could eventually settle into the strong side of a platoon in the corner outfield.