Rays Place Ace Shane McClanahan On Injured List With Back Tightness

Uh, oh. The Tampa Bay Rays announced Friday that they’ve placed ace Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list after the left-hander experienced lower back pain during his Thursday outing against the Texas Rangers. Rays president Erik Neander expressed in an interview on 95.7 WDAE & AM620 that McClanahan’s injury is “pretty minor” and the two-time All-Star should only miss “two starts.” Right-hander Alex Cook was called up from the Triple-A Durham Bulls to take McClanahan’s roster spot. In Triple A, Cook, who’s yet to pitch in MLB, has recorded a 3.78 ERA over 33 ⅓ innings this season, managing to strike out 28.5% of the batters he’s faced. Cook is expected to provide bullpen depth, as opposed to simply filling McClanahan’s rotation spot. McClanahan’s injury comes against the backdrop of him not pitching for the Rays since 2023 prior to this season. In 2023, McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery, which ultimately sidelined him for the entirety of the 2024 season. Then, prior to 2025 spring training, McClanahan experienced nerve irritation in his triceps, causing him to undergo surgery that August, as well. Through 20 starts this season, McClanahan owns a 3.09 ERA and a 9-6 record across 99.0 innings pitched. Overall, he has a career 3.04 ERA across four major-league seasons. Could the Rays make a trade for a pitcher in the wake of McClanahan’s injury? They’ve been mentioned in trade rumors for Detroit Tigers superstar left-hander Tarik Skubal and New York Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta. The trade deadline is Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET.