The Rays will have a familiar arm back in the middle of a rough home series.
Shane McClanahan is set to rejoin Tampa Bay’s rotation and start Monday against the Orioles, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Times on X. The timing gives the Rays a needed lift as they try to avoid a sweep after dropping the first three games of the four-game set at Tropicana Field, including Sunday’s 10-2 loss.
McClanahan’s return comes quickly after he landed on the injured list with a back issue following his July 30 start against the Texas Rangers. He left that outing early because of mid-back soreness, and the injury never appeared to be especially serious. That has held up, with McClanahan needing just one rehab start at Triple-A Durham before rejoining the big league staff 18 days later.
For Tampa Bay, the encouraging part was always that this wasn’t an arm injury. McClanahan’s recent injury history has been heavy enough already: elbow trouble led to Tommy John surgery and cost him the 2024 season, and his effort to come back in 2025 was interrupted by a nerve issue in that same elbow. That setback led to another procedure and wiped out that year too before he returned healthy in 2026.
This season, McClanahan has been sharp in 20 starts. He owns a 3.09 ERA over 99 innings with 91 strikeouts, along with a 3.35 FIP and 1.121 WHIP. He’s also produced 1.3 bWAR, and his 135 ERA+ stands as the second-best single-season mark of his career.
The Rays have needed the help. Griffin Jax joined the injury list just days after McClanahan went down, with elbow soreness that forced him out of his scheduled start against the Mariners on Aug.
- The concern was natural given Jax’s workload, but the issue does not appear to be severe.
He rested for a few days, received an injection and was back to throwing shortly after.
Tampa Bay should not be far from having its full rotation available again. How Cash manages that group once everyone is healthy will be worth watching, especially if piggyback plans come into play to help keep the staff fresh for the postseason.
In Other News...
Orioles Suddenly Have A Pete Alonso Concern They Cant Ignore
Pete Alonsos durability has been one of the more bankable things in baseball, which is part of why even a brief scare mattered so much. During the 10th inning against the Rays, he felt a cramp in his right calf, a jolt that briefly put a crack in the kind of availability the Orioles have come to count on as they fight through a wildcard push.
Alonso said he has played through worse and feels fine, and he expects to be in the lineup for the next game. There is also a chance he could be shifted to designated hitter, a small adjustment that would still keep his bat in play while the Orioles keep an eye on a streak of 537 consecutive games and the larger concern of having him right for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Prospect Just Put Himself On The Radar In A Big Way
Aron Estrada gave the Orioles farm system a jolt Monday night, turning in the kind of performance that can quickly change the conversation around a prospect. The Baysox infielder finished 5 for 5 with a double, drove in five runs and scored twice, helping himself stand out in a system that also had a busy night elsewhere, including a Norfolk loss that went to 10 innings against Gwinnett.
The rest of the Orioles affiliates had their own mix of highlights, from Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Creed Willems to Victor Figueroa, Wehiwa Aloy, Enddy Azocar and RJ Austin, while the pitching lines from Cade Povich, JT Quinn, Twine Palmer and Carson Dorsey added more to track. Even so, Estradas night was the one that most clearly put him on the radar, the sort of line that forces a second look from anyone keeping tabs on Baltimores next wave. [Read more 🡒]