ST. LOUIS -- Shane McClanahan was nearing the end of his second and final simulated inning Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium, the final step in his journey back to the Rays’ rotation, when Ben Williamson stung a line drive straight up the middle.
The ball caromed off McClanahan’s backside, and the two-time All-Star knelt in front of the mound as manager Kevin Cash and the club’s athletic training staff hustled to check on him. McClanahan shook off their concerns, threw a few warmup pitches under their watch and finished the inning with a little more juice behind every offering.
Didn’t think a comebacker was going to stop him at this point, did you?
“I’ll tell you what, boys. After the last three years, with all the [stuff] I’ve been through,” he said afterward, “getting hit with a baseball is a privilege. It’s a privilege.”
McClanahan wasn’t kidding, either. It seemed fitting that “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison was playing at Busch Stadium as the left-hander pitched on a big league mound for the first time in roughly 2 1/2 years during the Rays’ pre-Opening Day workout on Wednesday afternoon.
As long as he gets through his between-starts routine with no issues, McClanahan is slated to make his first Major League start since Aug. 2, 2023, on Tuesday in Milwaukee.
“Just so happy for him to reach this point,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said. “I know he knows he's still got a little ways to go to be back and to really have some distance on the other side of everything, but he's on his way and he's done everything he possibly can at this point to make it happen. And we're grateful for that.”
McClanahan is not getting ahead of himself mentally yet, continuing to take the day-to-day approach that’s guided him through his recovery from Tommy John surgery and a freak nerve issue in his left triceps.
He’s seen how quickly things can change. This time last year, he was preparing for his Opening Day start when the nerve injury struck during his final tune-up start of Spring Training. And yes, the thought crossed his mind again when that comebacker struck the left side of his body on Wednesday.
“I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” McClanahan said. “That’s the beauty about baseball, man. There’s just always something. The second you think you’ve got it figured out or you’re back, it just keeps you humble.”
McClanahan’s greater sense of perspective was evident once again as he spoke following his live batting practice session. It had been so long since he’d pitched in a big league ballpark that he took a video on his phone of an empty Busch Stadium earlier in the day and sent it to his mom. And he became emotional when asked about his first road trip with the team since 2023.
That’s how much he missed this. Sitting with Drew Rasmussen on the team flights. The bus rides. The impromptu dinners. The sense of camaraderie that players only get to experience for as long as their careers last.
“I think it’s a flood of emotions in terms of this. There’s times where you think you’re done, and it sucks,” McClanahan said. “You’re that kid that wants to be out there, and once you realize that you can’t control certain things, every day you’ve got to put your best foot forward and take it for what it is and understand that better things are coming. That simplifies itself and helps a lot.
“There’s nothing better than this. I’m very thankful.”
Yes, even for the comebackers.
“It means I’m out there. It means I’m competing,” he said. “It means I’m healthy.”
Worth noting
The Rays selected the contract of left-handed reliever Cam Booser on Wednesday and optioned him to Triple-A Durham. Booser still has an assignment clause, which he can activate on Thursday, that could allow him to leave if another club is willing to give him a spot on its active roster.
The Rays hope to keep him, with the expectation that he would contribute in the Majors after a strong showing in Spring Training.
“I look at him as a guy that can certainly help us throughout the course of the season,” Cash said. “I’m glad that he’s on the roster.”
Right-hander Joe Boyle, set to start for the Rays on Saturday after being optioned to Triple-A last week, said he had just pitched five innings in a Minor League game on Monday when he received word he would be rejoining the big league club.
“I was packed up, but I didn’t actually turn the car around or anything,” he said. “I’m excited. Glad to be here.”