McClanahan will start Opening Day, March 28 against the Rockies, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McClanahan missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from a Tommy John procedure he underwent in August 2023 -- already the second such operation of his career. Despite his extended hiatus, the Rays will entrust him with starting the first game of the season, as he owns a 3.02 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over his three seasons in the majors. The 27-year-old southpaw said Wednesday that he won't have any sort of restrictions during spring training, though the Rays are still expected to put a ceiling on his workload -- likely around 150 innings -- during the regular season.
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Rays' Shane McClanahan: No limitations in spring
Rotowire
McClanahan (elbow) confirmed Wednesday prior to throwing his first bullpen session of the spring that he's 100 percent and will face no restrictions in spring training, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.
The Rays are still expected to cap McClanahan at around 150 innings in 2025 after he missed the entire 2024 campaign while recovering from August 2023 Tommy John surgery, but he appears to be entering the spring on a normal throwing progression that mirrors Tampa Bay's other healthy rotation candidates. According to Bass, McClanahan's fastball sat at around 94-to-95 mph during Wednesday's throwing session, just a tick or two behind his average velocity from the 2023 season. McClanahan made his second consecutive All-Star appearance that season and turned in a 3.29 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 121:41 K:BB over 115 innings before requiring the second Tommy John surgery of his career.
Rays' Shane McClanahan: Expected to throw '150-ish' innings
Rotowire
Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said on Dec. 10 in an interview on MLB Network that he expects McClanahan (elbow) to throw "150-ish" innings in 2025.
McClanahan missed the 2024 season following August 2023 Tommy John surgery but has been able to go through a normal throwing program this offseason. The left-hander threw 115 innings in 2023 and had a career-high 173.1 frames in 2022 between the regular season and playoffs. This is McClanahan's second Tommy John surgery, however, and Walker Buehler's 2024 (Buehler was coming back from his second TJS) is an example of the downside involved with McClanahan in 2025. It's not yet clear how the Rays plan to manage McClanahan's workload, but it could involve some early removal from starts and/or extra rest in between outings.
