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The Tampa Bay Rays received some unfortunate news on Tuesday, as ace left-hander and Cy Young candidate Shane McClanahan was shockingly scratched from his scheduled start against the Miami Marlins, as reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Don't know why yet, but McClanahan is NOT starting for #Rays. Armstrong on the mound
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 30, 2022
Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Florida reports that it's a left shoulder impingement for Shane McClanahan, pending further imaging. No timetable for the injury is clear yet.
As Topkin notes, McClanahan seemed to go through his normal pre-start routine earlier in the day, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. But the Rays ace's reaction to the injury was not an encouraging one.
McClanahan walked off the bullpen mound visibly dejected, with teammates and coaches offering him support as he exited. Rays fans can only hope that it's not as bad as the star hurler's reaction made it seem.
The reality is, if the 70-57 Rays, currently positioned for a Wild Card spot in the American League, are going to make any sort of noise, they are going to need Shane McClanahan.
The 25-year-old has pitched to an 11-5 record with a 2.20 ERA, the fourth-best mark in the MLB. He's had electrifying stuff, sending 182 batters back to the dugout by way of the strikeout in 147 1/3 innings.
The Rays are planning for further tests and imaging on McClanahan's shoulder on Wednesday. That should paint a clearer picture about what kind of injury he and the Rays are dealing with.
A team hoping to get talented hurlers Tyler Glasnow and Shane Baz back before the end of the season just sustained a brutal blow to their best starter, Shane McClanahan.
