Tampa Bay Rays pitcher gives verdict on 2025 rotation with Shane McClanahan back in action

Shane McClanahan and the Tampa Bay Rays head into the 2025 season hopeful of doing better than their 80-82 finish last year. Their reserves are getting a big boost, as starting pitchers like McClanahan are returning to the rotation.

McClanahan was one of the key pieces in the starting rotation for the Rays in 2023 season. Leading the pack, he earned himself a 11-2 record with a 3.29 ERA from 21 starts. He missed the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery but is expected to return and be the ace of the rotation.

Speaking to MLB Network, Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen opened up about the starting pitching heading into Spring Training. He's optimistic about their chances and dropped a special note for McClanahan who's raring to come back after being sidelined for a year.

"Really excited about the opportunity our group has, that our group has moving forward. We're young, we're talented. We have some more experience this year than we did going into last year. So, some of those question marks are gone, which is a great thing.

"And then I mean, ultimately, when you get Shane McClanahan back in your rotation. Confidence just skyrockets, because every five days, you know, you have a guy that's going to go out there and give you an opportunity to win. So it's, it's like I said, there's a lot of optimism in our group right now," Rasmussen said.

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Shane McClanahan ready to go all guns blazing for Spring Training

Towards the end of the 2024 season, Shane McClanahan told Adam Berry, Rays beat reporter, about his excitement for the 2025 season. The first thing he mentioned was how he was asking everyone to get ready for Spring Training.

“I've been talking a lot of smack to people in here and telling them to get ready for Spring Training -- and I hope they're ready. It's awesome,” Shane McClanahan said.

“As a competitor, you miss it. So it's gonna be nice to take that competitive side out, instead of just in the weight room, running or my daily rehab. So I'm excited. I've been looking for this for a while.”

Spring Training is only a few weeks away for McClanahan and Co. The Rays have depth in their rotation that also consists of Rasmussen and young arms Shane Baz, Taj Bradley and Zack Littel.

The Rays have been one of the most consistent teams in the American League, reaching the playoffs each year since 2018. They will hope that the 2024 season was a minor blip in an otherwise successful stint under manager Kevin Cash.