The Tampa Bay Rays have set themselves apart from the field in the American League, though a recent skid has the Baltimore Orioles hot on their tails. Their quest to finally secure a World Series victory will be made easier with ace pitcher Shane McClanahan getting back to full health.

McClanahan, who has recently been dealing with back tightness, is set to return to the mound on Monday against the Texas Rangers. After two starts that ended before the fifth inning, the Rays hope that the All-Star will progress back to full form in the back half of the season.

Although he has trended in the wrong direction in allowing walks and recording strikeouts this season, McClanahan has been stellar overall in the 2023 campaign. The Rays ace has an ERA of 2.53, the best in MLB among qualified pitchers, and Tampa Bay has a record of 14-3 in games he starts.

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According to ESPN, Shane McClanahan explained that his back pain has limited his ability to help the Rays, who have won just three of their last 10 games. The 26-year-old said that his back “tightened up on me. It's frustrating. Obviously, I want to go out there and help this team win. I didn't do that this start, last start, and I'm ready to get the ball moving in the right direction.”

The Rangers are a tough team to make a return against, as the likes of Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia, Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Jung, Jonah Heim and Marcus Semien form the highest-scoring offense in baseball. Fortunately, McClanahan proved he could hang with the Rangers' high-octane bats, holding them to just three runs in seven innings while striking out five batters in a June start.

The Rays have finally got Tyler Glasnow back out there, helping the talented fireballer recover from an oblique injury after missing most of the last few seasons. Missing out on Drew Rasmussen until next season means that Tampa Bay's starting pitching has to be at its best in order to make a playoff run. Along with McClanahan, Zach Eflin and a rock-solid bullpen that could get better at the trade deadline, the Rays have a promising foundation in place.