Rays' Shane McClanahan Highly Unlikely to Pitch Again in 2023 Due to Injury, per Cash

Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan is "highly unlikely" to pitch again this season because of a forearm injury, manager Kevin Cash told reporters Tuesday.

McClanahan was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday and hasn't pitched since an Aug. 2 loss to the New York Yankees.

Cash said that "everything is on the table" for McClanahan, including Tommy John surgery, flexor surgery and loose body removal, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He added that the lefty is "going to be down for a while."

The 26-year-old met with Los Angeles-area surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday and is scheduled to see orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister for a second opinion, according to ESPN.

McClanahan's injury is a tough blow for the Rays as they battle for the top spot in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles. Tampa Bay currently sits second in the division with a 68-46 record, three games back of Baltimore.

McClanahan, in his third major league season, was having a solid year for the Rays, posting an 11-2 record with a 3.29 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 121 strikeouts in 115 innings across 21 starts.

The two-time All-Star joins a growing list of Rays pitchers to hit the injured list, including Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs and Josh Fleming. Springs and Rasmussen underwent Tommy John surgery and are out for the year.

Tampa Bay's rotation is down to Zach Eflin, Tyler Glasnow, Aaron Civale and Zack Littell. It's possible young starter Taj Bradley could be promoted again to fill McClanahan's spot.

Bradley has started 16 games for the Rays this season, with his last outing coming against the Houston Astros on July 29.