(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays have been having a spectacular season this year.
With Tuesday night’s win over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Rays came to within two games of first place in the American League East.
However, they received some bad news prior to the game.
The news was centered around their ace, left-hander Shane McClanahan.
According to reports from Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay’s manager, McClanahan is “highly unlikely” to pitch again this season.
On Twitter, Jeff Passan of ESPN confirmed the report by Cash on his ace and illustrated just how big of a blow this is for the club.
Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan is “highly unlikely” to pitch again this season, Rays manager Kevin Cash said today.
In a season filled with brutal pitching health — Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen needed Tommy John surgery — McClanahan’s arm injury is the worst of all.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 8, 2023
The Rays pitching staff has been hit hard this season with injuries.
Tyler Glasnow is active after missing a good chunk of the season with an arm injury.
However, both Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen are out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and Passan notes that McClanahan’s injury is the worst out of the three pitchers.
This is certainly bad news for the Rays, who are attempting to catch the Baltimore Orioles.
McClanahan, who started the All-Star Game last year for the American League, was 11-2 with a 3.29 ERA in 21 starts.
He had also worked 115 innings and recorded 121 strikeouts.
The 26-year-old is indisputably the Rays’ best starting pitcher, and any time without him is a significant blow for the rotation.
The Rays won their game against the Cardinals on Tuesday, but it couldn’t take the sting out of the fact that the rotation just got a lot thinner in depth.
The post MLB Insider Reports Bad News For Rays Ace appeared first on The Cold Wire.