The Rays placed left-hander Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list last week due to left forearm tightness. It seems he may be out well beyond those 15 days as manager Kevin Cash tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that surgery is possible and it is “highly unlikely” the southpaw will pitch again this year, though he will see another specialist before that’s confirmed. Cash adds that’s “everything is on the table,” including Tommy John surgery, flexor tendon surgery or the removal of loose bodies, per Topkin.
It’s yet another brutal blow to the Tampa rotation, which has received many this year. The club is already without Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs, each of whom has undergone season-ending surgery already. Josh Fleming is also on the 60-day injured list alongside those two, having been out since late May.
But the loss of McClanahan would be the most devastating of all, given that he’s been one of the best pitchers in the game in recent years. Dating back to his 2021 debut, he’s tossed 404 2/3 innings, allowing just 3.02 earned runs per nine innings. He’s struck out 28% of batters faced, walked just 7.1% and kept the ball on the ground at a 46.8% clip. He finished seventh in American League Rookie of the Year voting two years ago and then was sixth in Cy Young voting last year.
The mounting pitching injuries have undoubtedly played a role in the club’s slide in the standings. They started out the season with a 13-game winning streak and were in first place in the AL East for much of the season, but have since faded to second. Their 68-46 record has them three games behind the Orioles and four games ahead of the Blue Jays. Now they will seemingly have to navigate the final weeks of the season without their best pitcher.
The current rotation consists of Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale and Zack Littell, which is a talented group but one with concerns. Glasnow has frequently dealt with injuries in his career, having never reached 112 innings in a major league season. He was scratched from his Sunday start due to back spasms and now will be shut down for two days after receiving an injection, per Topkin. Eflin recently had a knee scare that resulted in him avoiding the injured list, but he’s had knee issues his entire career and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see something flare up again. Civale also has a spotty health history, which has prevented him from ever hitting 125 innings in a big league campaign. Littell has primarily been a reliever and has only recently begun stretching out to a starter’s workload.
With the trade deadline now in the rear-view mirror, the Rays will have limited options to supplement this group. Fleming is on a rehab assignment and could come back shortly, though he has a career ERA of 4.86 around multiple IL stints of his own. Prospect Taj Bradley could be recalled from the minors, though his first 16 major league starts resulted in a 5.67 ERA. The Rays could also try to acquire players from outside the organization, though those will naturally be flawed options in one way or another.
The concerns with McClanahan will seemingly extend beyond the current playoff race, given the serious options that are on the table. If Tommy John surgery is ultimately required, that would likely wipe out his entire 2024 season as well, given that recovery usually takes at least 14 months after that procedure. That would be his second such surgery, as he underwent TJS back in 2015, prior to being drafted. The time off after flexor tendon surgery tends to be a little lighter but can still run close to a year.
McClanahan is currently 26 years old and will finish this season with his service time count at two years and 158 days. He’ll be a lock to qualify for arbitration as a Super Two player this winter, the first of four arb seasons before he’s slated for free agency after 2027. It’s possible that he ends up missing the entirety of his age-27 season, though he and the Rays will obviously be hoping that’s not the case.
Oof. Not surprising, but still a bummer.
They down there in flordia chanting “we want a pitcher not a belly itcher” the 7,000 strong in the stands….
Judging from his options, he won’t pitch in 2024 either…
Only TJ would keep him out for 24.
that’s the point…forearm tightness? everything on the table? Expect TJS. I told my son it would be TJS the minute I heard “forearm tightness”. I wish I was wrong.
Could still be flexor tendon. Thats less then a full year. Still screwed for this year
Dude you aren’t right. And quit patting yourself on the back for predicting an injury that’s as tasteless as it gets.
Me? As I mentioned, I hope I am wrong…but forearm tightness often leads to TJS (as others on here have pointed out). I love Sugar Shane (was fortunate enough to talk to him last year at Wrigley), and the Rays are my team, this bums me out–in no way am I happy about this, and I am not “patting myself on the back” (insert eyeroll). Calm down. You misrepresented me in a few ways here. And…sorry, but you don’t know if I am wrong just yet…as mentioned a few times now, I hope I am. Jeesh.
Cash: “Highly Unlikely” the yanks finish as a playoff. If they do, nice work Manfart, you’ve diluted BB, to the point of straight up whiskey with loads of ice.
I have said it before and will say it again.. new training staff! Yes i know all teams have pitchers go down but this is year after year after year
Even the best training staffs have pitchers get injured. Change for the sake of change is only needed on the Southside of Chicago. If you could have any teams training staff, whose would it be?
Man that hurts them big time for the playoffs….
Makes that move to get Civale from Cleveland even more impactful now.
Unless Glas comes back immediately, I don’t know if that move will help in 2023. If no Glas, that leaves you with Civale, Eflin, and Littell…yikes.
Maybe they should have kept Yonny Chirinos, yikes.
“everything is on the table” is code for “TJS evebtually”
TJS is coming, them getting a second opinion is just due diligence on their part.
very sad news for the Rays.. They have now lost 3 of their best SPs due to season-ending injuries. would be heroic is they can make a deep playoff run now.
The Rays will have a solid rotation in ’25, problem is they will need a lot of duct tape and popsicle sticks to hold the rotation together til then
They’ll be fine for the 2nd half next year. Rasmussen, Springs, Baz, Bradley, Eflin and Civale.
Meanwhile, don’t forget that they skipped a turn for Glasnow. With his history, maybe he’s next? Hope not, but you wonder if the Rays will pay him 25M next season regardless.
25MM a year for a guy who struggles to pitch 90 innings in a “healthy” year? I don’t think so.
Enter LAD.
The Rays will move him this off season with that hugh 24 salary on the board. Of course, his health is now in question again so that could change too.
There has to be someone willing to take him. And I don’t know who that somebody is.
Plenty of large-market teams would take Glasnow, especially if TB’s mainly trying to dump salary. Ace-caliber arms aren’t available for $15M AAV often.
Glasnow makes 25 million not 15.
Cardinals are as hard up for an ace as anyone. I don’t think they will want him for 25 million. Maybe but I doubt it.
I know. But the AAV on his contract is $15M, which is what counts for the luxury tax and is more of a constraint for most teams
Chaim Bloom will he signs injured pitchers.
“Next man up!” Has been the Rays motto forever. But with blood in the water, the sharks will be out.
Elfin, Civale, Glasnow, Taj & an opener for the Postseason…not great. Littel might be used as a “5th starter” for a while but how long does that hold up? Honestly, let’s just get whoever is available and throw them at the wall & see who sticks. Recent DFA’s like Deivi García from the Yankees or heck, give ole’ Archer & Matt Harvey a call, I bet they’re just bowling or something. I will say our 2025 rotation is gonna be STACKED lol
@tbfern, I assume they probably call up McKendry or Brigden. Then use the WW to fill out the minors rotation.
Unproven guys for a pennant race? And potentially for playoffs, if TB makes it?
Other than the outlier who was David Price, do you remember TB just hoping a minors guy would come through during crunch time? Honestly, I don’t remember that happening (outside of DP). With four starters now gone (Baz, Ras, Springs, Shane), if these guys were good enough now I would think they would have been here already. Hope I am wrong.
McKendry was traded to the Brewers last week.
They also have Jacob Lopez who is pitching a sub 2.00 ERA in AAA with a K/9 rate over 10 this season. Not sure if they will give him a shot, but he has certainly earned a few starts to see how he handles MLB pitching.
Lopez has thrown 84 innings the most in his MiL career. He’s a reliever if called up.
1. You have to make the playoffs before you worry about your playoff rotation–Seattle, Boston, and even the yanks are each good enough to overtake TB.
2. A four-man rotation is all that is necessary in the postseason, if they make it
3. Littell has been the number four starter for three turns through the rotation now.
4. Bradley is overmatched, thus the reason he is in AAA…I cannot see him being used as a fourth starter in the playoffs, yikes.
5. Glas missed his last turn, and still is not scheduled for his next turn. Will he even be around? Combine this with the injury histories of Eflin and Civale…and one wonders why the Rays did not accomplish more at the trade deadline. I for one was hoping for at least two starters due to this team’s past and the past of these pitchers…but per usual, the FO went cheap and we only snagged one guy instead of at least two. Now the amazing start to the season will be wasted.
I watch a lot of Rays games. Some of your points needed to be rectified, no offense. (with regard to next year–Baz, Ras, and Springs will be back by mid season, if Civale and Eflin are healthy, and maybe Taj finds a way to get his groove back, I don’t think you have to wait for 2025)
Baz will be ready for spring training
Exact. My point was those big three should all be available by midseason…so don’t need to wait fully until 2025.
Nice post, I too thought that with this offense they needed more starters. Their entire rotation was and is injury prone.
The Rays have always hoarded prospects like a pot of gold. This was the year to go all in and they cheaped out again like misers.
The Mariners might loan out Tommy Milone but if we need him for a spot start you have to give him back.
“The Rays and McClanahan are not concerned about his elbow.”
Elfin, Civale, Glasnow, Taj & an opener for the Postseasona…not great. Littel might be used as a “5th starter” for a while but how long does that hold up? Honestly, let’s just get whoever is available and throw them at the wall & see who sticks. Recent DFA’s like Deivi García from the Yankees or heck, give ole’ Archer & Matt Harvey a call, I bet they’re just bowling or something. I will say our 2025 rotation is gonna be STACKED lol
While it doesn’t seem great now, if they make the playoffs, it will be better than you think currently. If its good enough to get them there, it will be good enough.
The Rays likely Rue McLanahan being out for the season. His heart is true, he’s a pal and a confidant.
Pretty obscure reference there, but this crew likely skews to the older side and might get it!
My 15-year old watches the Golden Girls. Still funny stuff!
Thank you for being a friend.
Isn’t the Golden Girls’ retirement condo somewhere down in suburban St. Pete or am I thinking of Jack Ritter’s bachelor pad from Three’s Company ??? (Rip Jack & Don Knotts)
anytime nowadays I hear a picture and four on tightness or forearm soreness first thing I think of is Tommy John surgery
This is a bummer, man. That’s… That’s a bummer. Puff.
seems more and more likely that glasnow is a mini-degrom. i remember watching him in 2019 and thinking “there goes another ex-pirate turning into cy young”
Feel terrible for the guy, and Rays fans, but this dude has the most gdawful, biomechanically brutal delivery I think I’ve ever seen. The torque is painful to even watch. As guys like this get older, they can’t make that work anymore. Rays fans, be prepared for him to never be an elite starter again, sorry to say.
The frustrating thing is how could Tampa Bay’s pitching development super machine not know that already re: torque & encourage him to change his delivery in order to prolong his career & safeguard their asset ,??? Makes you wonder about their overall pitching management/philosophy & why it burns out pitchers & churns them thru a meat grinder like lambs to the slaughter.
tampa has no incentive to protect their investments – they develop young talent better than anyone and when those players become stars and approach free agency they get moved and replaced with another young guy
so its actually better for them to train their players to empty the tank everyday even if it means your career will be 4 years
He’s probably 6 ft tall and all of 180 lbs and throws 100 mph. I always viewed him as an injury waiting to happen.
Maybe so but 99% of pitchers would take his career over theirs. Not many have twenty year careers.
Kind of like Tim Lincecum.
Degrom barely missed a start between 2014 until the middle of 2021. He was the best pitcher in baseball for most of that. Glasnow has never made more then 15 starts in a season.Not sure I see much of a comparison.
comparison should have been clarified to “post-2020 degrom”
(dominant stuff but frustrating inability to stay healthy)
degrom missed almost the whole second half of 2016 with elbow surgery.
If it’s TJ, look for the Rays to sign a favorable extension. Going into arbitration with just 115 IP and a 3.29 ERA isn’t a recipe for the kind of payoff one might have thought at the beginning of the season.
Even so, the 2024 rotation can still feature Glasnow, Eflin, Civale, Baz and Bradley, with reinforcements in Springs and Rasmussen coming up midseason..
As for this year, they’ve got to make the playoffs with Littell, Bradley and maybe Fleming pitching in. Then go with a pretty good top 3 in October.
Gotta hope Glas (and the others) stay healthy.
This sucks. I’m a Red Sox fan and much as I don’t like him on the mound against my guys I wish him a speedy recovery. Not good for baseball to have him on the shelf.
Unfortunately pitching injuries impact a season’s standings more than anything.
What do we do ?
Limit pitches to maximum 90? Sarcastic but what can be done.
It’s way too much.
The main cause of these new pitcher injuries are the high fastball velocities. The team who figures out how to consistently develop pitchers who can miss bats without 95+ mph heat will be the next Moneyball
What? Jeffrey Springs has been injured? I can’t believe no one told me.
Shane? More like Rue McClanahan. Amirite?
Ah, fiddlesticks! 🙁
“McClanahan Checked Body, Couldnt: Cash”
The White Sox would have *gladly* given you Mike Clevinger for almost nothing. If you could’ve took back a bit of Grandal’s contract, we probably would’ve given you guys a decent prospect alongside Clevinger and Grandal, too.