McClanahan throws 3 perfect innings in rehab outing, eyes imminent return

WEST SACRAMENTO -- On Aug. 11, 2025, before the opening game of a series against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park, Rays manager Kevin Cash delivered some bad news: Rehabbing left-hander Shane McClanahan underwent surgery on his pitching arm and was ruled out for the season.

Fast-forward to Tuesday -- exactly one year later -- and Cash was back in West Sacramento with some better news to share about Tampa Bay’s star southpaw.

McClanahan, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 31 with left mid-back tightness, tossed three perfect innings in a rehab game for Triple-A Durham and appeared to come through it just fine.

“Very pleased with the way Mac threw the ball,” Cash said.

McClanahan said after landing on the IL he hoped the issue was minor, and that appears to be the case after he sat down all nine Memphis hitters he faced on Tuesday in Durham, N.C. He topped out at 97.4 mph with his fastball and averaged 95.7 mph, a hair above his 95.6 mph average in MLB this season.

The lefty, who had a 3.09 ERA in 20 starts for the Rays before going on the IL, struck out two and got whiffs on five of 16 swings (31%), including on all three swings against his changeup. He needed only 30 pitches to get through the Redbirds lineup in order.

“It looked like the velocity and all the offspeed offerings were right in line, so very encouraged by that,” Cash said.

Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said in an Aug. 10 radio appearance that McClanahan had thrown two innings in an Aug. 6 simulated game and that the lefty was slated for three innings in his next outing, so Tuesday’s rehab start was just as expected.

Set to return to Tampa Bay by Wednesday -- the final day of the Rays’ nine-game road trip -- McClanahan will check in with team staff, but there appears to be relatively minor concern. For a pitcher who missed all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery and didn’t pitch in 2025 due to a nerve issue in his left triceps, it was an optimal rehab performance.

“We’ll get him back and then revisit the plan, but confident that we’re heading in the best direction,” Cash said.