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Two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan, the Tampa Bay Rays' opening-day starter, exited his final exhibition start Saturday in pain after throwing a pitch, an unsettling development for a pitcher making his way back from elbow surgery.
McClanahan, 27, last pitched in the major leagues on Aug. 2, 2023, and underwent his second Tommy John surgery 18 days later. He sat out all of last season but came to camp confident he'd make his opening day assignment. McClanahan's fastball was clocked at 98 mph in his first bullpen session of the spring.
Yet he winced in pain after throwing a pitch to the 10th Boston Red Sox batter he faced, hopping twice and then leaving with a trainer. McClanahan had his first Tommy John reconstruction when he was 17; he had a stabilizing internal brace inserted during his second procedure.
McClanahan was the American League starter in the 2022 All-Star Game and also made the AL squad in 2023. While the Rays brought six projected starting pitchers to camp and can absorb any extended absence from a numbers standpoint, the loss of their once and current ace would be devastating for a club looking to return to the playoffs.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shane McClanahan injury update: Rays ace leaves spring training game
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McClanahan, 27, last pitched in the major leagues on Aug. 2, 2023, and underwent his second Tommy John surgery 18 days later. He sat out all of last season but came to camp confident he'd make his opening day assignment. McClanahan's fastball was clocked at 98 mph in his first bullpen session of the spring.
Yet he winced in pain after throwing a pitch to the 10th Boston Red Sox batter he faced, hopping twice and then leaving with a trainer. McClanahan had his first Tommy John reconstruction when he was 17; he had a stabilizing internal brace inserted during his second procedure.
McClanahan was the American League starter in the 2022 All-Star Game and also made the AL squad in 2023. While the Rays brought six projected starting pitchers to camp and can absorb any extended absence from a numbers standpoint, the loss of their once and current ace would be devastating for a club looking to return to the playoffs.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shane McClanahan injury update: Rays ace leaves spring training game
Continue reading...
