Shane McClanahan entered the 2025 season hoping to have another dominant season. However, a triceps injury has delayed his season debut with the Tampa Bay Rays. Without him in the starting rotation, Rays manager Kevin Cash has turned to others to pick up his slack. Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen, and Ryan Pepiot have done well, but Zack Littell's turnaround has fueled Tampa Bay's recent hot stretch.

Littell is 6-5 after an 0-5 start to the season. The Rays have won each of his last eight starts, tying McClanahan for one of the longest winning streaks for a pitcher in Tampa Bay history. Littell is not the only Rays starter that has dominated recently. Since May 20, Tampa Bay's rotation is 10-2, helping the team go 13-3 over that stretch, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry.

The New York Yankees still lead the American League East by a handful of games. However, the Rays and Toronto Blue Jays are within arms reach and are near the top of the AL Wild Card race.

Littell felt good after his start on Friday against the Miami Marlins. The 29-year-old pitched six innings, allowing just one run and six hits. The righty's ninth quality start of the season ties him with Pepiot for the team lead. He and the rest of Tampa Bay's pitchers are adjusting to the summer heat, but have had no trouble.

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“Throughout the week, I felt really good. My body's moved the way I wanted it to,” Littell said. “With the heat … it's going to be an adjustment. We're going to figure out how to pitch and what the in-between-inning routine looks like a little bit better. I think there's some things I can do better. But overall, felt really good.”

Littell, Pepiot, and Rasmussen have put together historic performances for Tampa Bay, even without McClanahan. Cash's former ace targets late July for his return, essentially serving as a trade deadline acquisition.

If he can return at the same level he was at last season, Littell and Tampa Bay could find their way back to the playoffs.