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# Shane McClanahan returns to the mound and the Rays hope to return to their winning ways
- URL: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/shane-mcclanahan-returns-to-the-mound/
- Published: 2026-03-31T13:03:51.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-31T13:03:51.000Z
- Description: Sugar Shane is coming back tonight and does that mean the Rays can get back to competing at a high level?
- Author: Collin Sherwin
- Tags: #Migrated-1792597384348, #Import 2026-10-21 15:44

It’s been a long road for Shane McClanahan to get back on the mound.

But tonight at American Family Field, McClanahan will start against the Milwaukee Brewers — his first appearance in a regular-season game in 972 days.

On Aug. 2, 2023, he was removed from a game at Yankee Stadium after four innings due to forearm tightness. On Aug. 21, McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery. It was the second time he had the procedure; the first came in 2016 when he was a freshman at USF.

McClanahan missed the rest of 2023 and the entire 2024 season while recovering. He worked his way back for spring training last season, but suffered another setback. On March 22, 2025, in his final start of spring training, he felt tightness in his left triceps and exited the game. The injury was later diagnosed as a nerve issue in his left arm, sidelining him for the entire 2025 season.

Now, McClanahan returns after a spring training without setbacks. He pitched 13 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out 15 hitters. His final spring training start this year ended with a far different feeling than the year before. On March 20, he threw five scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox, setting the stage for today’s start against the Brewers.

The Rays have to be thrilled to get the dynamic lefty back on the mound. McClanahan is a two-time All-Star with a career 3.02 ERA. He has a 33-16 record in 74 career starts.

However, beyond McClanahan’s production, the Rays are hoping his return can help restore some of the success they had before his injury.

When McClanahan went down, the Rays were in the midst of a 99-win season — the second-most in franchise history. They made the playoffs that year for the fifth consecutive season.

However, his injury marked the beginning of a major unraveling for Tampa Bay.

The Rays have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 2023\. They also recorded consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2016-17.

Twelve days after McClanahan was injured, Wander Franco was placed on the restricted list and has not returned — and likely will not return — to an MLB field. The Rays were later swept by the Texas Rangers in the wild-card round of the 2023 playoffs.

Randy Arozarena, Tyler Glasnow, Brandon Lowe and several others have since been traded. Yandy Díaz is the only one of the nine players in the starting lineup the day McClanahan was injured against the Yankees who remains with the organization.

Expectations are not particularly high for Tampa Bay this season. The Rays are projected to finish last in the AL East and win 79.6 games, according to FanGraphs.

But McClanahan’s long-awaited return provides a reason for optimism among Rays fans — one they hope can signal a return to winning ways in 2026.