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Shane McClanahan was set to return to the mound for the Tampa Bay Rays as their opening day starter this season. The lefty last pitched in 2023, missing all of last year as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
In one of the last spring training games before opening day, it appeared as though McLanahan had another injury to his pitching arm.
During the third inning of a spring training game against the Boston Red Sox, the lefty fired a pitch and immediately showed pain and discomfort in his body language. He quickly called to the dugout and was pulled out of the game after a dominant start to the day.
Shane McClanahan left the game after this pitch where he looked very uncomfortable pic.twitter.com/9htZJISU9n
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 22, 2025
It's important to not try to diagnose an injury from the video, but it's very concerning to see him looking down at his throwing elbow on his way off the field. This is the same elbow that was surgically repaired over a year ago.
Losing the lefty would be a huge blow for the Rays, but it would also be a massive blow for baseball.
Before this start, the lefty had looked very good in spring training. He was set to headline a star-studded rotation in Tampa Bay, but now it's looking like he's going to miss opening day and potentially even more time into the season.
In his career, he holds an incredible 3.02 ERA in 74 starts. When healthy, the lefty is one of the best pitchers in the league.
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About the writer
Zach Pressnell is a Newsweek contributor based in Columbus, Ohio. His focus is MLB content. He has an extensive knowledge ... Read more