PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays are finally getting their ace back.
Shane McClanahan hasn’t taken the mound in a game since August 2023. He underwent Tommy John Surgery for an elbow injury and missed the entire 2024 season.
On Wednesday, he took the mound on the first day of spring training.
“Last year sucked,” McClanahan said. “It was tough, in all seriousness. Tough mentally, tough physically. It’s good to be around these guys.”
Prior to his left elbow injury, McClanahan was on a superstar trajectory. He made his first all-star appearance in 2022 and finished sixth in the A.L. Cy Young race.
“That’s a pretty easy highlight of the first day to see him throwing off the mound and looking like himself,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We know how talented he is. You put him in a very small category of starting pitchers over the last 3-4 years. We’re fortunate that he’s healthy, he’s back and set the tone for this first day.”
Even after so much time off, the 27-year-old lefty still feels like he can be the dominant pitcher he once was.
“I feel like the ball is coming out easier,” McClanahan said. “I am spinning it a lot better. We’ll see. I don’t want to say it’s going to be nastier. The feel was better.”
“Shane makes a difference, there is no doubt,” Cash added. “Not having him, we knew that whatever rotation we thought we had was not going to be as good just because of his absence. This rotation we are excited about. Bullish on for good reasons. He goes to the top of that and adds to that.”
Cash said that McClanahan will have no limitations to open the season.
The Rays went 80-82 last season, ending a streak of five straight postseason appearances.
They will open the season on March 28th at Steinbrenner Field.
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