ST. PETERSBURG — Left-hander Shane McClanahan has been activated off the 15-day injured list and will start the Tampa Bay Rays’ series finale against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night at Tropicana Field, his first Major League start since July 30.
McClanahan exited his last start against the Rangers in the fourth inning due to left mid-back tightness and was placed on the injured list the following day. The Rays expected a relatively short absence, and McClanahan confirmed that timeline by throwing three perfect innings in a rehab game for Triple-A Durham last Tuesday before rejoining the club at the Trop over the weekend.
Right-hander Joe Boyle was optioned back to Triple-A Durham on Monday to make room on the roster. Boyle threw 84 pitches over 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in Sunday’s 10-2 loss to the Orioles after being called up from Durham on Saturday.
McClanahan slots back into a rotation that includes Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, Freddy Peralta and Ian Seymour. The only arm still missing is right-hander Griffin Jax, who remains on the injured list due to right elbow discomfort.
Jax received an injection to “calm the back of the elbow down” after undergoing testing with Dr. Keith Meister last week. He has resumed playing catch and is expected to begin mapping out a timeline for his return to the mound as the Rays enter the final quarter of the season.