Tampa Bay Rays Ace Shane McClanahan Heads to IL, Presumably Will Miss All-Star Game Too

Tampa Bay Rays ace pitcher Shane McClanahan was placed on the injured list on Saturday, effectively knocking him out of the ability to pitch in the MLB All-Star Game.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed ace pitcher Shane McClanahan on the injured list on Saturday with back issues in a move that is bad on multiple fronts.

The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

The Rays placed McClanahan on the 15-day injured list with mid-back tightness, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.

ANALYSIS
McClanahan has exited back-to-back starts due to back tightness, and now he'll head to the injured list in order to resolve the issue. It's unclear how long the 26-year-old lefty will spend on the injured list, but he will have to wait until at least after the All-Star break to make his next start. Jalen Beeks was recalled from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move.

So there's a few different things going on here...

1. The move is bad for the Rays themselves. They haven't gotten the best version of McClanahan for those back-to-back starts and now will need to monitor this issue moving forward. They also miss out on a chance to have their ace appear one more time before the All-Star break.
2. It's also disappointing for McClanahan, who was assured to be named an All-Star for his work in the first half. He may still get the distinction of being named to the team, but now presumably won't be able to pitch. He has been named an All-Star before (2022).
3. 3) The one silver lining is that if the Rays can get this issue under control, because of the break, McClanahan may end up only missing one start. That's certainly the goal for a Rays rotation that has been beat up by injuries. It's already lost Jeffrey Springs for the year and Drew Rasmussen into at least August.

McClanahan is 11-1 this season with a 2.53 ERA. He leads the league in wins. The Rays entered July with an amazing 57-28 record, a whopping 29 games over .500. Despite having the best record in the game, they have the second-best odds to win the World Series, according to the gambling website Fanduel. The Rays are currently at plus-480, and the Atlanta Braves are first at plus-360.

The Rays will play the Mariners on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. ET. Rookie Taj Bradley, who has been up and down so far this season, will start for Tampa Bay. Luis Castillo gets the call for the Mariners. Seattle is favored at minus-125 according to the daily lines at Fanduel, and the over/under is 7.5. Bradley was shelled in his last outing, giving up seven runs in just four innings in a loss at Arizona. 

It seems like the over is a solid play, according to Fanduel projections, giving Bradley's inconsistencies. Castillo is a star, and with the Mariners at home, they seem to be a good play, too, to a lesser degree.

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