ST. PETERSBURG — The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays placed left-handed starter Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list Friday with left forearm tightness, a troubling development for a rotation already stretched thin heading into the final month of the season.
The move marks McClanahan’s second IL stint this year — he missed time last month with mid-back tightness — and raises fresh questions about the durability of a pitcher who underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2023 and missed two full seasons before returning in 2026. McClanahan, 29, said he felt “a little tightness, maybe fatigue” after the fifth inning of Thursday’s start, a 6-0 loss to the Rangers in which he allowed four earned runs over five innings.
“As of last night, we made the decision as a team to not let this compound, not let this snowball and kind of try to nip it in the bud quick,” McClanahan said. He added that he is not sure whether he will undergo imaging but does not believe the setback is serious.
Rays manager Kevin Cash struck a cautious tone. “Yeah, after the fifth inning he came out and said that he had some tightness, stiffness,” Cash said. “Anytime a guy talks about his arm, we’re going to do right by him. Shane’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish. I’m hoping that with a couple days down, lets the doctors talk and rest that we’re in a good spot soon.”
McClanahan has posted a 3.36 ERA over 118 innings this season, but his recent workload has flagged. He has completed fewer than six innings in each of his past seven starts and produced a 4.78 ERA over that stretch. Right-hander Alex Cook was recalled from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move.
The timing compounds a broader rotation concern for Tampa Bay. The Rays entered Friday at 83-57, the best record in the American League and three games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. Their rotation ranks fifth in the majors with a 3.61 ERA, but starters Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour have already surpassed or are nearing career highs in innings pitched as big league starters.
“We’re just talking about a guy that hadn’t pitched in quite some time,” Cash said. “I think he’s put together a really impressive season to date and hopefully, it’s just going to continue with some time spent on the IL.” McClanahan is eligible to return from the IL in mid-September, when the Rays will be deep into their push to clinch the division.