McClanahan undergoes season-ending procedure on pitching arm

WEST SACRAMENTO -- By late July, in the wake of his latest setback on his long road to recovery, Shane McClanahan’s chance of a return to the Major Leagues in 2025 was already slim.

Now, that possibility is officially off the table.

McClanahan underwent a surgical procedure Monday with Dr. Steven Shin to “clean up around the nerve” in his left triceps and will not pitch again this season, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

“I know he’s frustrated,” Cash said before Monday’s series opener against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. “We’re all frustrated and disappointed by that, but hopefully there’s some relief to the nerve area.”

The Rays would welcome a bit of relief regarding their ace left-hander, who hasn’t pitched in the Majors in over two years -- since Aug. 2, 2023. McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery Aug. 15, 2023, and has been on a rocky road to recovery ever since.

He came into Spring Training healthy and seemed ready to begin 2025 as the Rays’ Opening Day starter, but he suffered what he and the club called a “freak” nerve issue in his triceps in his final spring outing.

McClanahan made his first rehab start July 8 with the FCL Rays and made two more Minor League outings before dealing with biceps soreness and pausing his rehab assignment in late July. He “felt OK, nothing great” after playing catch from 60 feet on July 28, Cash said.

Cash said Monday’s procedure was “not anything that involved a bone or structure” and that the left-hander should regain mobility in his pitching arm “pretty quick.” While the surgery targeted McClanahan’s lingering nerve irritation, Cash said there’s little likelihood that it will resolve the issue for good.

“Dr. Shin is not sitting there saying, like, ‘He’s fixed,’” Cash said. “That’s not the case. This is one step, and we’ll see how this goes, and hopefully we get good results. If we don’t, then we’ll let doctors decide what else is needed, if anything.”

The potential of further medical intervention is a scary thought for a Rays team that will be without its ace for at least two full seasons. McClanahan was an American League All-Star in both 2022 and 2023, finishing sixth in AL Cy Young voting in 2022. In 74 career starts, the lefty has a 3.02 ERA with 456 strikeouts in 404 2/3 innings pitched.

While Tampa Bay starters have held their own without McClanahan in the mix -- their 3.73 ERA ranks in the top 10 in MLB -- the Rays’ rotation could take a considerable leap with the left-hander fully healthy.

But after Monday’s news, it’s hard to say when that time might come again.