Shane McClanahan won’t be making his return to the mound this season after all.
McClanahan underwent season-ending surgery to clean up the nerves in his left triceps on Monday, Rays manager Kevin Cash revealed. McClanahan has been working back from Tommy John surgery he had in August 2023, and he hasn’t pitched in the majors since.
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The Rays will now officially be without one of their better starting pitchers for two full seasons.
“I know he’s frustrated,” Cash said, via MLB.com. “We’re all frustrated and disappointed by that, but hopefully there’s some relief to the nerve area.”
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McClanahan made his last appearance in the majors on Aug. 2, 2023, though he was healthy entering spring training earlier this year and appeared ready to make his return. That, though, never happened due to what the team later called a “freak” nerve issue in his triceps.
McClanahan appeared to be working his way through the injury in recent months, and he made a few minor league outings with the FCL Rays in July. But the latest setback is sending him into surgery again, and Cash said there isn’t any guarantee that this procedure will fix the nerve issue for good.
“This is one step, and we’ll see how it goes, and hopefully we get good results,” Cash said. “If we don’t, then we’ll let doctors decide what else is needed.”
McClanahan held a 3.29 ERA and an 11-2 record in 21 starts during the 2023 campaign. The lefty picked up his second All-Star nod that season.
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Without McClanahan available, the Rays haven’t been great this season — especially lately. The team entered Monday night’s matchup with the Athletics with a 57-62 record, which has them fourth in the AL East standings. They’ve lost nine of their last 12 games and appear to be on pace to miss the playoffs for a second straight season. Their starters have held a 3.73 ERA, however, which is among the top third of the league.
Though McClanahan now has plenty of time to recover and build his arm back up before spring training next season, the extended break from the game and lingering injury in his pitching arm is far from a good sign for the Rays.
