Shane McClanahan Returns to the Mound: Battle-Tested, Rebuilt, and Ready
PORT CHARLOTTE - The Florida sun was shining, the energy was light, and the moment was meaningful. Shane McClanahan stood on the mound again, glove in hand, surrounded by teammates and coaches, ready to ease back into the rhythm of spring training.
It wasn’t a game situation, not yet - just the first fielding drills of camp. But for McClanahan, it was something more.
He mimicked a pitch, and Triple-A manager Morgan Ensberg sent a soft chopper back his way. McClanahan moved to field it - and missed.
The ball skipped past, and out came a loud, unfiltered curse. Laughter followed from the pitchers watching behind the mound.
“It’s been awhile,” McClanahan said with a grin.
Yeah. It really has.
It’s been 925 days since McClanahan last pitched in a regular-season game for the Rays. That’s two and a half years of setbacks, surgeries, and soul-searching. For a two-time All-Star once viewed as one of the most electric young arms in baseball, the road back has been anything but smooth.
A Career Put on Pause
It started with Tommy John surgery - the second of his career - after he blew out his left elbow in August 2023. That alone is a mountain to climb.
But McClanahan was making that climb. By last spring, he looked sharp.
Really sharp. He was just six days away from being named the Rays’ Opening Day starter for a third straight year.
Then, it all unraveled again.
He walked off the mound during a spring outing with a strange sensation in his triceps. What followed was months of uncertainty and frustration.
It wasn’t the elbow this time - it was a nerve issue. Eventually, he underwent a radial nerve decompression procedure that ended his 2025 season before it ever began.
“To put it candidly, it sucked,” McClanahan said inside the Rays clubhouse on Thursday. “It was a long process.
Still healing a little bit - the nerves are just … unfortunately they’re just nerves. They’re weird.
They take time, nothing you can really do.”
The physical toll was brutal. The emotional toll might’ve been worse.
A Battle with the Unknown
McClanahan couldn’t feel the fingers on his left hand for months. For a pitcher, that’s not just a problem - it’s an identity crisis.
His game has always been about feel, touch, and command. Without that, he was adrift.
“That was a really, really challenging time,” he said. “You can’t feel anything, you can’t move your fingers, you can’t grab anything.”
He still showed up early at Steinbrenner Field last season for treatment and workouts, trying to stay close to the team. But the routines of rehab are a far cry from the rhythms of a season. He missed the bus rides, the dugout banter, the competition - all the little things that make up the fabric of a baseball life.
“Injuries are part of the game, but you hate seeing somebody who worked so hard to come back from Tommy John surgery and knowing how good he looked, and then days before he’s supposed to have an Opening Day start you see that happen,” Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot said. “It was tough to watch, and the unknowns were even tougher.”
Pepiot spoke to the emotional toll it took on McClanahan - something that doesn’t always show up in a stat line or injury report.
“You know, there’s the big lights that come with being baseball players. Our job is to play a game on TV, and there’s a lot of money and stuff that comes with it. But we’re also human beings with emotions, and you could see the emotional toll it was taking on him.”
Turning the Corner
Now, with spring training underway, McClanahan is finally back - and he’s throwing gas again. His fastball is reportedly sitting in the 97-98 mph range, and there are no current limitations on his spring training workload. That’s the good news.
But after everything he’s been through, the Rays are understandably cautious. Nerve issues are unpredictable, and while McClanahan looks strong, nothing is guaranteed. Still, there’s a sense that the storm has passed - or at least that he’s learned how to navigate through it.
“I’m glad to have kind of turned that corner and have that finish line in sight,” McClanahan said. “I’m excited to be here and be talking to you guys right now.”
There’s a different tone to McClanahan now. He’s still just 28, but the last few years have aged him in the way only adversity can.
He talks about perspective. About growth.
About learning to appreciate the game - and life - in a way he hadn’t before.
“I think (fans) are going to see a side of me that maybe they haven’t seen,” he said. “Maybe a little bit more professional, maybe a little bit more - I don’t know - emotionally put-together.”
He’s not just talking about baseball. Off the field, McClanahan has been dealing with personal loss as well.
Just a few weeks ago, his father, James “Clancy” McClanahan, passed away at 73. Shane honored him in a heartfelt Instagram post, writing:
“You were my biggest inspiration, supporter, fan and the best coach anyone could have. You always told me you can’t wait to see me back on the mound doing what I love, I’m sorry it took so long dad. Even though you won’t be in the stands I know I’ll still have you there, always.”
It’s clear that McClanahan’s comeback is about more than just baseball. It’s about resilience.
It’s about honoring the people who helped him get here. And it’s about rediscovering the joy in a game that once came so easily.
Looking Ahead
The Rays are hopeful that McClanahan will be ready when the 2026 season opens. And if his current trajectory holds, he’ll be anchoring a rotation that’s quietly reloading for another run.
But no matter what the stat sheet says this season, McClanahan has already won something bigger - the fight to get back. He’s stepped back onto the mound, not just as a pitcher, but as a more complete player and person. One who’s been tested, rebuilt, and is ready to remind everyone why he was one of the most feared left-handers in the game.
And if the laughter from that first fielding drill is any indication, he hasn’t lost his edge - or his sense of humor - along the way.