Ryan Pepiot Replaces Shane McClanahan as Tampa Bay Rays' Opening Day Starter

In the wake of Shane McClanahan's injury scare on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays have decided to pivot and make Ryan Pepiot their starting pitcher on Opening Day.

Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot (44) delivers in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The long-awaited return of Shane McClanahan won't be taking place on Friday after all.

Ryan Pepiot has replaced McClanahan as the Rays' Opening Day starting pitcher, manager Kevin Cash told the Tampa Bay Times' John Romano and other reporters Sunday morning. The decision comes one day after McClanahan left a spring training game with an injury to his left tricep.

McClanahan missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2023. The Rays were confident in McClanahan's progress, naming him as their Opening Day starter before spring training even got underway, and he proceeded to go 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 1.000 WHIP and 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings across three Grapefruit League starts.

There is no official word on McClanahan's status, as he is set to undergo further testing Sunday. But with relief pitcher Hunter Bigge getting recalled to fill his spot on the big league roster, it seems plausible that McClanahan opens the regular season on the injured list.

No news yet on Shane McClanahan. Should have word on what test results say later today. Ryan Pepiot replaces McClanahan as opening day starter. Reliever Hunter Bigge being recalled to fill the roster spot.

— John Romano (@romano_tbtimes) March 23, 2025

McClanahan is 33-16 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.105 WHIP, 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a 8.7 WAR through 74 career big league starts. Max Fried and Clayton Kershaw are the only other left-handed pitchers with an ERA lower than McClanahan's since 2021, minimum 400 innings.

If McClanahan opens the season on the 15-day injured list, he would be out until at least April 12. A stint on the 60-day injured list would keep him out through May 25.

Pepiot isn't a two-time All-Star like McClanahan, but he did emerge as a potential future ace in his own right last season. The 27-year-old right-hander finished 2024 with an 8-8 record, 3.60 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.1 WAR.

Going back to his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pepiot is 13-9 with a 3.28 ERA, 1.128 WHIP, 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.8 WAR across 208.1 innings at the MLB level.

Pepiot will face off against Kyle Freeland and the Colorado Rockies on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.

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