SUNDAY UPDATE: Manager Kevin Cash said that McClanahan is dealing with an inflamed nerve in his triceps and will start the season on the injured list.
Great news on #Rays Shane McClanahan. It’s an inflamed nerve in the left triceps, imaging confirmed. He’ll start the season on the IL, but Kevin Cash said they’re “very fortunate” it wasn’t worse.
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) March 23, 2025
It looks like the Rays and McClanahan avoided a catastrophic injury at this point, but his timeline remains uncertain coming into the season. The good news is that his elbow is not the issue after his Tommy John surgery.
SUNDAY UPDATE: The Rays announced that Ryan Pepiot will start on Opening Day instead of McClanahan, indicating that McClanahan will at least start the season on the IL. The team has yet to announce how long he’ll be out for, but he won’t be ready to start the season.
UPDATE: Manager Kevin Cash said that McClanahan is dealing with an injury to the triceps area and will undergo further imaging on Sunday to determine the severity of the issue.
After missing all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Shane McClanahan looked strong this spring training. He made two starts against the Mets and Phillies, allowing just four hits and one walk in 4 2/3 scoreless innings while picking up five strikeouts.
He was in the third inning against the Red Sox on Saturday when this happened:
#Rays ace Shane McClanahan just left this game accompanied by head trainer Joe Benge. Here’s video of his final pitch, showing some serious discomfort. He signaled toward the dugout and was clearly in pain. Will update when I know more. pic.twitter.com/HuV8Bh2BpK
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) March 22, 2025
The team will likely have an update on his status after the game but this definitely puts his availability for the start of the season in question. He was scheduled to start on Opening Day for the team against the Rockies, which would have been his first appearance in an MLB game since Aug. 2, 2023.
Stay tuned for further updates as the team gives an update on his prognosis, but obviously given how much pain he appeared to be in, this is definitely a cause for concern.
