Rays’ ace Shane McClanahan leaves final spring start with arm injury
Shane McClanahan’s comeback story just hit a major roadblock.
The Rays’ left-hander, who was set to make his long-awaited return on Opening Day this Friday, left Saturday’s final tune-up outing with what appears to be a serious arm injury.
McClanahan immediately signaled to the dugout after throwing a pitch, clearly in pain and holding his pitching arm straight down at his side – a concerning sight for anyone familiar with pitcher injuries.
The 27-year-old hasn’t pitched in a major league game since August 2, 2023, when his season was cut short by an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
Rays manager Kevin Cash revealed during the broadcast that the injury is in McClanahan’s triceps. The pitcher will undergo testing on Sunday to determine the severity.
This is potentially devastating news for both McClanahan and the Rays. After nearly 20 months of rehab, he was just days away from his triumphant return to the mound.
Before his elbow injury in 2023, McClanahan had established himself as one of baseball’s elite pitchers. He made the All-Star team in back-to-back seasons and was putting together another stellar campaign when he got hurt.
In 2023, he posted an impressive 11-2 record with a 3.29 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 115 innings.
For his career, McClanahan boasts a remarkable 33-16 record with a 3.02 ERA – 30% better than the league average during that span.
What makes this setback even more heartbreaking is how good McClanahan had looked this spring. He was showing all the signs of returning to his ace form, giving Tampa Bay hope that their rotation would once again have a true number one starter.
The Rays desperately need McClanahan at his best. The team finished 80-82 last season – their first losing record since 2017 – and dropped to fourth place in the ultra-competitive AL East.
Now they face the possibility of starting their season without the pitcher they were counting on to lead their rotation.
