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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – MARCH 31: Shane McClanahan #18 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws a pitch in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on March 31, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays’ 6-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers last Tuesday night was notable in two ways. One was first base umpire C.J. Bucknor making one of the worst calls of all time. And the other was a piece of news the Rays have been waiting for for so, so long.
Starting on the mound for the Rays was Shane McClanahan, in his first game since August 2023. For nearly three years, McClanahan existed on paper only, a reminder of what the Rays were missing rather than an active player doing anything. Now, in 2026, he is finally – finally – back on a major league mound. And with that, the Rays got back a better piece than any offseason acquisition could ever have been.
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Three Years Is A Long Time
McClanahan’s absence was not brief. Neither, though, was his peak. Before the succession of injuries that caused his lengthy absence, his was among the best arms in the game.
His last stretch of healthy play saw him be as dominant as anyone. McClanahan, the starting American League pitcher in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, had established himself as one of the premier left-handed pitchers in the whole of Major League Baseball. Across his first three seasons, he compiled a 33-16 record with a 3.02 ERA and 456 strikeouts, earning All-Star selections in both 2022 and 2023. The hat-trick, however, was interrupted in August 2023 by an arm injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery.
What followed was not a straightforward recovery. McClanahan missed the entire 2024 season while rehabbing, in accordance with the usual Tommy John recovery time, but then suffered an additional setback in 2025 spring training with a nerve issue in his left triceps that ultimately required further surgery and cost him another full year. By the time he returned last Tuesday, 972 days had passed since his last meaningful major league appearance; to put it into context, the last time McClanahan pitched in an MLB game, Travis and Taylor had not yet become a thing, and Matthew Perry was still alive.
McClanahan, then, is back. But understandably, he is not yet back to his best.
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Rays Need This More Than Anything
In his outing against the Brewers, McClanahan worked a no-hitter through four innings, allowing just one base runner via the walk. He consistently hit 96 miles per hour on the fastball, and threw 14 of his first 15 change-ups for strikes – through those first four frames, the Brewers could not lay a finger or a barrel on him.
In the fifth inning, however, McClanahan fatigued quickly. The accuracy went, the pitch count went up, the misses were quite wild, and the Brewers put up a three-spot to post a lead that they would never relinquish. In his second outing tonight against the Chicago Cubs, the reverse happened – McClanahan was nibbling around the first two innings, relinquishing three walks, but then posted 1-2-3 innings in each of the third and fourth innings and gave up only one run on one hit in an upset victory. This time, he was pulled before the fifth began, having thrown only 69 pitches.
The stamina, then, is not there yet. But it will be built up, and it would appear that the underlying stuff has returned. In spring training, McClanahan posted a 2.08 ERA across four starts, striking out 15 batters in 13 innings; more importantly, there were no reported setbacks to his health.
If the Rays have been or will be cautious with his workload, it is to be expected, reflecting both the length of McClanahan’s absence and the serious nature of his injuries. Early in the season, he should be expected to build innings gradually rather than immediately resume a full starter’s role. Even so, expectations remain high. McClanahan is not returning as a fringe contributor or depth option; he is returning as a former ace. The Rays are not where they once were, with holes in the line-up and without having their usual hit rate on reclamation bullpen arms over the last two years as they were once known for. But with McClanahan back, the top of the rotation just got a big lift.
Mark Deeks I am continuously intrigued by the esoterica and minutiae of all the aspects of building a basketball team. I want to understand how to build the best basketball teams possible. No, I don’t know why, either. More about Mark Deeks
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