For more than two years now, Tampa Bay Rays All-Star pitcher Shane McClanahan has been battling through arm injuries. He hasn't pitching in a regular season game since August of 2023, but he said he felt good after his second outing this spring.
When we last saw Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan in a regular-season game, it was way back in August of 2023. He was an All-Star that year, and one of the best pitchers in the game.
But he hurt his elbow then, and required Tommy John surgery, missing all of the 2024 season. He looked good last spring, but then developed a nerve issue in his arm and it never got better. He missed all of 2025, too, and it's no coincidence that the Rays missed the playoffs in both seasons.
He came into spring camp healthy this year and he's set to join the Rays' rotation when the season begins on March 26. He'll start the fifth game on March 31, in climate-controlled Milwaukee.
He pitched his second game on Monday against the Detroit Tigers and was happy with the outing. He worked into the third inning, throwing 41 pitches. He gave up three runs and three hits, but he wasn't worried with the stats. It's all about getting the work in, and he's happy with that.
"Good, yeah. I felt good,'' McClanahan said of Monday's outing. "Obviously there were some pitches I wish I had back, but, you know, it's still spring training. I'm still figuring out some stuff and, you know, it's just one day at a time.
“It was fun, it was good. It’s always good to be out there. I’m trying to work on some stuff, build some confidence and learn to trust some stuff. Obviously, results don’t indicate how I think (Monday) went for myself. I thought I had a good day.”
McClanahan, who will turn 28 years old later next month, used to be able to top out at 100 mph with his fastball, but he's intentionally not throwing that hard now. Caution is the key, but so is the build-up. In his first outing last week, he averaged 93.9 mph on his fastball, and was up to 94.3 on Monday.
There's more to come, but it due time, McClanahan said.
“I’m still pacing myself. It’s a long season, a long year,'' McClanahan said. "I feel like the days of me trying to throw as hard as I can every pitch are pretty much over. I've got to have some reserve. You’ve got to know when to put your best bullet out there. I’ve still got it. Just choosing to be tactical about it and smart.
“Pitching at 94-95 is a lot easier on your arm and a lot easier on your body throughout the course of the year than going out there and blowing it out every single pitch.”
Rays manager Kevin Cash and pitching coach Kyle Snyder are closely monitoring McClanahan's every move this spring, and they are thrilled with every small step so far.
“I’m happy with where he is,” Tampa Bay pitching coach Kyle Snyder said. “I’m happy that he’s happy. And I’m happy that he wanted another batter (in the third inning). That illustrates health, right? I mean, it tells you that he wants to be out there.
“It’s a little bit of a balance, and understandably so. He’s been an All-Star his last two healthy seasons, but he’d start to fade a little bit in the latter half of the season. So I think there’s a little bit of pace there. He understands that he wants to pitch a little bit more, but he also understands he’s very much still a power pitcher.
“I think a lot of this is just pacing himself to get to that point, really trust in the physical side of it, which he’s doing a great job of. And I’m just trying to just sit there and help kind of manage that throttle a little bit with him.”
McClanahan gave up a hard-hit double and a two-out home run, but struck out Wenceel Perez with a change-up to end the second inning. He threw 24 pitches in the frame,.
“I was kind of glad I faced a little bit of adversity,” McClanahan said. “A lot of pitches, kind of got that pitch count up. It’s like I haven’t been in that situation in some time. I didn’t feel winded after it, whereas maybe in the past I felt a little tired coming off the mound. Because if every pitch was max effort, you’re not really saving many bullets.
“It’s not even so much a throttle. It’s being under control. It’s pitching as opposed to just ‘stuffing’ people. Got out of that, and I was like, ‘I feel pretty good,’ and I think that’s a good sign.”
The Rays open the season with nine straight road games in St. Louis, Milwaukee and Minnesota before returning to Tropicana Field on April 6 for their long-awaited return to St. Petersburg.
They have home series with the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees in the refurbished dome, which they've called home since 1998. They had to play at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa last year after Tropicana Field was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton.