The Tampa Bay Rays may be in for an emergency change of plans ahead of opening day. Two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan was originally the scheduled starter for the season's first game. On Saturday, he had to leave the field in his latest spring training appearance against the Boston Red Sox.
Looking good on the mound and getting past the first nine Red Sox batters he faced on the day without giving up any runs, McClanahan suddenly started wincing in pain after throwing to the tenth batter he faced, immediately signaling toward his coaching staff. The ace had to be escorted off the field with a trainer.
Rays insider Ryan Bass posted a clip of the incident on X (formerly Twitter).
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This latest injury issue comes at the worst possible time for McClanahan, who would have been looking forward to making his first appearance since August 2023. He had to sit out the entirety of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
MLB insider offers opinion on the Rays' acquisition of "Swiss army knife" infielder
After a solid season with the San Diego Padres in 2024, Korean infielder Ha-Seong Kim signed a two-year, $29 million with the Tampa Bay Rays last offseason.
Likening him to a "Swiss army knife" for his remarkable versatility, MLB insider Jensen Lewis had his say on Kim's acquisition.
"He was so pivotal in being a Swiss army kinfe for the Padres," Lewis said, via MLB Network Radio. "He could play short, could play second, could DH when needed to, he really epitomizes what the Rays want to do. They want to have a lot of guys who can do a lot of things. This just screams to me that alright, I got to go play, I'm going to go be in a spot where I can show that I can do it again in one of the toughest divisions in baseball.
Let's see what happens. If the Rays can stay healthy in their rotation and they can compete. For him, I would love coming to work everyday knowing I got one of the great budding superstars in Junior Caminero right next to me for every single game."
As Tampa Bay looks to be a "surprise package" of sorts heading into the new season, competing in a division with the likes of the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox, fans will hope new acquisitions such as Ha-Seong Kim can prove their worth.
