Rob Rasmussen Makes MLB Debut with Toronto Blue Jays

Former UCLA left-handed pitcher Rob Rasmussen made his Major League debut on Tuesday evening, pitching 0.1 innings in relief for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Rasmussen's debut came in a 7-4 win over the Boston Red Sox at historical Fenway Park in Boston. He faced one batter in the ballgame, getting David Ortiz to ground out to first in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Rasmussen became the 73rd former UCLA ballplayer to compete in Major League Baseball and the 10th player under head coach John Savage to advance to the big leagues. Additionally, all three pitchers of UCLA's 2010 starting weekend rotation have now reached the Major Leagues - Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh), Trevor Bauer (Cleveland), Rob Rasmussen (Toronto).

In three years at UCLA, Rasmussen helped lead UCLA to two NCAA Regionals (2008, 2010) and the Bruins' third-ever trip to the College World Series in 2010. He earned the victory in UCLA's clinching games of the 2010 NCAA Los Angeles Regional and Super Regional and helped the Bruins post the nation's second lowest ERA (3.00) that same season. In his collegiate career, Rasmussen went 15-7 in 46 appearances (27 starts), posting a 3.98 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 171.2 innings pitched. He enjoyed his finest season as a junior in 2010, going 11-3 as UCLA's No. 3 starter while recording 128 strikeouts, the ninth-most in the country that year. He also posted an ERA of 2.72 that season and was selected in the second round (73rd overall) of the 2010 MLB Draft by the then Florida Marlins.

Since July 2012, six former UCLA baseball players have advanced to the major leagues - Trevor Bauer, Charles Brewer, Tyson Brummett, Jermaine Curtis, Gerrit Cole and now Rasmussen.

UCLA currently has seven former ballplayers competing in Major League Baseball - Trevor Bauer (Cleveland), Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh), Brandon Crawford (San Francisco), David Huff (San Francisco), Casey Janssen (Toronto), Rasmussen (Toronto) and Chase Utley (Philadelphia).

In addition, seven former UCLA ballplayers are competing at the triple-A minor league level - Hector Ambriz (San Diego), Charles Brewer (Arizona), Alden Carrithers (Oakland), Jermaine Curtis (St. Louis), Cody Decker (San Diego) Erik Goeddel (New York Mets) and Josh Roenicke (Washington).