21:18: Both Cash and McClanahan expressed some optimism after the game that McClanahan shouldn’t miss much time (Topkin links). That won’t be officially determined until tomorrow’s imaging results come back, of course.
18:52: Ace of Rays Shane McClanahan he was scratched from tonight’s start against the Marlins shortly before game time. The lefthanded star felt discomfort while warming up in the bullpen and was visibly upset (video link provided by Rob Friedman). The club later announced his preliminary diagnosis as a shoulder impingement (h/t to Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Florida). He is to undergo additional imaging tomorrow, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
The team will provide more information in the coming days, but it’s clearly troubling news. Shoulder issues are a concern for any pitcher, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if McClanahan ended up on the 15day disabled list. Even a brief absence would be a notable blow to a Tampa Bay club that currently holds the top wild card spot in the American League. The Rays are only a halfgame behind the Mariners and a game ahead of the Blue Jays, with a threegame gap between them and the closest current nonplayoff team (the Orioles).
Their spot in the standings makes the final five weeks crucial as the Rays look to lock down a fourth straight playoff appearance. Arguably no player is more important to those efforts than McClanahan, the American League AllStar Game starter and one of the best pitchers in the sport. After a productive rookie season in which he posted a 3.43 ERA in his first 25 big league starts, McClanahan has established himself among the game’s elite arms this year. He has worked to a sparkling 2.20 ERA in 24 outings and 147 1/3 frames. The former first rounder has struck out an elite 32.5% of the batters he’s faced and induced ground balls a whopping 52.3% while walking just 5.4% of opponents.
McClanahan has made a strong case for AL Cy Young Award consideration, joining the likes of Justin Verlander (which landed in IL this afternoon), Dylan Cease i Framber Valdez among the best holders of the Junior Circuit. If healthy, McClanahan would be skipper Kevin Cash’s obvious choice for the first game of a possible playoff series.
The Rays have dealt with a myriad of pitching injuries this season. Most of them have come to the bullpen, but have been out of it Tyler Glasnow all season while rehabbing from last year’s Tommy John procedure and missing the highend prospect Shane Baz during two extended stretches. It’s possible that both Glasnow and Baz could factor into the mix down the stretch, giving Tampa Bay a potentially enviable arsenal if they’re at their best.