Rays’ Shane McClanahan gets optimistic update after scary injury

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan has an inflamed nerve in his left triceps, manager Kevin Cash said, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

McClanahan will start the year on the injured list, but he is not expected to miss significant time, according to Passan. This is perhaps the best-case scenario for the Rays, given the circumstance.

With McClanahan missing the 2024 season due to having Tommy John surgery, it was not encouraging to hear that he was feeling discomfort during his last start in spring training. Luckily, it seems like the Rays have avoided the worst case scenario when it comes to McClanahan’s injury. For Tampa Bay to surprise this season, the team needs McClanahan to be healthy.

When healthy, McClanahan has the ability to put up a Cy Young type of season, so it is a sigh of relief for the Rays to get this news. It will be interesting to monitor McClanahan’s timeline as the season starts. With him starting on the injured list, it will be worth tracking when he ramps up again to see when he potentially will make his return to the rotation.

The Rays are getting several pitchers back for the 2025 season, and McClanahan was expected to be the headliner. That return is going to be delayed, as McClanahan was expected to start on Opening Day, but it seems like he will be in the rotation for most of the season if all goes to plan. With McClanahan starting on the IL, players like Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen, Shane Baz and Zack Littell are expected to form the starting rotation. There is legitimate hope that this group could help lead a surprising playoff run in 2025.

For now, the Rays will breathe a sigh of relief with the McClanahan news and prepare for Opening Day on Friday against the Colorado Rockies, which will be played at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.