The Tampa Bay Rays announced Friday that they have placed ace left-hander Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list. McClanahan experienced lower back pain during his outing on Thursday against the Texas Rangers.
Rays president Erik Neander stated that the injury is "pretty minor" and that the two-time All-Star is expected to miss approximately two starts. Alex Cook, a right-handed pitcher from Triple-A Durham Bulls, has been called up to take McClanahan's roster spot. Cook has yet to pitch in Major League Baseball, but has recorded a 3.78 ERA over 33 ⅓ innings this season with 28.5% of batters faced struck out. Cook is expected to provide bullpen depth.
McClanahan's current injury follows a history of setbacks. He did not pitch for the Rays from 2023 until the current season due to Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him for the entirety of 2024. Prior to the 2025 spring training, he underwent surgery in August for nerve irritation in his triceps.
This season, McClanahan has a 3.09 ERA and a 9-6 record across 20 starts and 99.0 innings pitched. His career ERA stands at 3.04 over four major league seasons.
The Rays, who have been mentioned in trade rumors for pitchers Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers and Freddy Peralta of the New York Mets, have until Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET to make acquisitions before the trade deadline.