The Tampa Bay Rays have their work cut out for them in a competitive American League East in 2025. Getting Shane McClanahan back from Tommy John surgery will certainly be of help, but he's already suffered a concerning injury in spring training.

During Saturday's outing, the two-time All-Star threw a pitch and immediately looked to be in pain, signaling to the trainers in the dugout. It does appear he was dealing with discomfort in his throwing arm.

Via Ryan Bass:

That's a very concerning sight for the Rays. When healthy, McClanahan is one of the most dominant starters in the big leagues. He didn't pitch at all in 2024 due to TJ. Across three seasons, the southpaw has a 3.02 ERA and has struck out 10.1 hitters per nine innings. Tampa Bay needs him at full strength very badly.

Kevin Cash said it's a triceps issue for McClanahan and he'll have imaging on Sunday, per Andrew Freed.

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In 2023, McClanahan posted a 3.29 ERA in 21 starts, but his season ended prematurely in August due to the elbow injury, undergoing surgery later that month. It's been a long road of recovery for the lefty and it would be truly gut-wrenching if he does miss any substantial amount of time.

McClanahan had looked like his usual self pre-injury, throwing 4.2 scoreless innings in Grapefruit League action, striking out five hitters in the process. He threw 41 pitches against the Red Sox on Saturday before his departure. He is set to be the Rays' Opening Day starter and although they do have six starters in camp, losing their best one is a nightmare scenario.

Tampa finished second-last in the AL East in 2024 with an 80-82 record. They had a respectable 3.77 ERA as a pitching staff, but offensively, the Rays were inconsistent.

Stay tuned for updates on McClanahan's health. While it didn't look good, Tampa Bay will be holding their breath when it comes to his status, with Opening Day right around the corner.