ST. PETERSBURG — Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan exited his start against the Rangers at Tropicana Field with back tightness Thursday, an injury scare that could accelerate Tampa Bay’s push for rotation help before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline.
McClanahan threw zeros through three innings but saw his four-seam fastball velocity — which has averaged 95.6 mph this season — drop from 94.9 mph through the first two frames to 93.8 mph in the third. His curveball and changeup were down a couple of ticks as well. He told coaches early in the game he was feeling tightness, prompting the club to get right-hander Casey Legumina up in the bullpen to start the fourth.
McClanahan threw seven pitches in the fourth inning, including two fastballs each under 94 mph, before hitting Ezequiel Duran with a curveball and walking Brandon Nimmo. Rays manager Kevin Cash and head athletic trainer Joe Benge visited the mound and pulled him from the game. “I didn’t want it to snowball into something major,” McClanahan said. “Tightness is one thing; you can work with that, but being a little unsure of if this could develop into a pulled muscle or something. … It’s not worth losing yourself for a long run.”
McClanahan said the issue felt like “just a little tight grab” that kept him from getting full extension down the mound, and he does not believe it is anything major. “Hopefully it’s gone in the next couple of days,” he said. He acknowledged he has felt similar tightness at times this season, but it usually dissipated as his body warmed up. Thursday it was “just a little bit more prevalent and I couldn’t shake it.” McClanahan landed on the injured list with back tightness in both 2021 and 2023, though he said those prior injuries were more painful and involved constant tightness, unlike the current episode.
“Any time it’s a back and not an arm [injury], I think we feel better about it,” Cash said. “But we’ll see.”
The Rays will manage McClanahan’s workload carefully as he returns from two full seasons missed due to left arm injuries. Elsewhere in the rotation, Griffin Jax has already surpassed his career high in innings at 86 2/3. Tampa Bay’s starting staff ranks fourth in MLB with a 3.49 ERA, but depth remains a concern — particularly with 11 of the club’s Top 30 Prospects eligible for this year’s Rule 5 Draft, creating a potential roster crunch this winter if those players are not added to the 40-man roster or traded.
Detroit’s Tarik Skubal is considered the top prize on the trade market, though Giants veteran left-hander Robbie Ray, Tigers pitcher Casey Mize and Nationals All-Star Foster Griffin are among the starters who could also be available. McClanahan’s exit Thursday and his injury history could push the Rays to intensify their efforts before Monday’s deadline.