ST. PETERSBURG -- Entering Thursday’s series finale at Tropicana Field, the Rays already had a reason to be shopping in the starting pitching market ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline.
Time will tell if they have a greater reason to explore that market now after starting pitcher Shane McClanahan exited Thursday’s 3-2 win in the fourth inning due to left mid-back tightness.
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On the bright side, the left-hander said that he doesn’t think the injury is anything major and nothing has been mentioned to him about undergoing any tests.
“Hopefully it’s gone in the next couple of days,” he said.
McClanahan added that he’s felt this kind of pain at times this season, but it usually dissipated as his body got warm and he got into the flow of the game. On Thursday, it was “just a little bit more prevalent and I couldn’t shake it.”
McClanahan began the matinee by putting up zeros through his first three innings. However, his pitch velocity was down throughout the day. His four-seam fastball, which has averaged 95.6 mph this season, was at 94.9 mph through the first two frames. It fell further in the third, down to 93.8 mph. His curveball and changeup were down a couple of ticks as well.
McClanahan told Rays coaches early in the game that he was feeling some tightness, which is why the club got right-hander Casey Legumina up in the bullpen to start the fourth inning.
McClanahan threw seven pitches in the fourth, including two fastballs that were each less than 94 mph. He opened the frame by plunking Ezequiel Duran with a curveball that floated too far inside. After McClanahan walked Brandon Nimmo, Rays manager Kevin Cash and head athletic trainer Joe Benge came out to the mound and after a short conversation, McClanahan departed with Benge.
“I didn't want it to snowball into something major,” he said. “Tightness is one thing; you can work with that, but being a little unsure of if this could develop into a pulled muscle or something. … It’s not worth losing yourself for a long run.”
McClanahan landed on the injured list with back tightness in 2021 and ‘23. Both stints were relatively short, and he said Thursday’s issue doesn’t feel the same. He said those prior injuries were more painful and consisted of constant tightness. This current issue is “just a little tight grab” that kept him from getting full extension down the mound, resulting in that decreased velo.
“Any time it's a back and not an arm [injury], I think we feel better about it,” Cash said. “But we'll see.”
The Rays will be careful with McClanahan’s innings moving forward as he is coming back from two full seasons missed due to left arm injuries. Elsewhere in the rotation, Griffin Jax has already surpassed his career high in innings at 86 2/3. So although the starting staff ranks fourth in MLB with a 3.49 ERA, it could use another proven arm.
Enter: Tarik Skubal?
The Rays are considered a possible suitor for the Tigers’ two-time Cy Young Award winner, thanks in part to their extremely deep and talented farm system.
That includes 11 of their Top 30 Prospects (including three of the Top 10) who will be eligible for this year’s Rule 5 Draft, creating a potential roster crunch this winter. If those eligible players aren’t added to the team’s 40-man roster in the offseason, they would become available for any team to select in the Draft -- assuming they aren’t traded before then.
Although Skubal is the top prize in the trade market, there are a bevy of solid starters who could be on the block, including Giants veteran left-hander Robbie Ray, the Tigers’ Casey Mize and Nationals All-Star Foster Griffin, to name a few.
You can never have enough starting pitching. And even if McClanahan’s back tightness doesn’t keep him out of action, his exit Thursday and injury history could push the Rays to amp up their efforts to make what has been one of the team’s greatest strengths thus far this season both stronger and deeper.