Tampa Bay Rays fans got good news and bad news on Tuesday when it comes to pitcher Shane McClanahan.

The lefty starter has been out since spring training with a triceps nerve injury, but threw off a mound at full distance over the weekend for the first time since his injury. That doesn't mean, however, that he is ready to progress with his rehab.

“I don’t know, I really don’t know,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, per the Tampa Bay Times, about when McClanahan can take the next step. “He’s not handling not feeling 100 percent well.”

McClanahan has not appeared in a Major League game since 2023 when he went on the injured list shortly after the All-Star break. He underwent Tommy John surgery that August and appeared to be on track for a 2025 return before the nerve issue cropped up.

Though the two-time All-Star still doesn't have a clear timetable for a return, but the Rays say that structurally, his arm “couldn't be better.”

“I’m definitely frustrated,’’ he said during spring training, per MLB.com's Joey Johnston. “I’ve done a really good job of controlling everything I need to control. God’s honest truth, man, is I felt great. Felt great all Spring Training. Felt great two innings into that [Saturday] outing, and it’s just a freak thing, you know?”

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“I’ve never had a nerve issue in my life before,’’ he added. “And I’m really glad I’ve never had a nerve issue in my life before. It grabbed and just radiated down. It didn’t feel great. As soon as I walked off the mound, I told Cash, ‘It’s not the elbow. It’s not the elbow.’ I wanted to give him that reassurance. But, you know, I didn’t know what it was.’’

The setback meant that the Rays have been without their ace all season. The team is 36-30 coming into Tuesday, good for a tie for second in the American League East behind the New York Yankees.

Though McClanahan has only pitched three seasons in the Majors, his body of work is enough to show what he can bring to the Rays if he returns. He has a career 3.02 ERA to go with a 25.8% strikeout rate.

His triceps injury is not believed to be related to his Tommy John surgery according to the Rays.