Rays ace Shane McClanahan sidelined by an inflamed nerve in his left triceps

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan will begin the season on the injured list because of an inflamed nerve in his left triceps.

Manager Kevin Cash provided an update on McClanahan a day after the left-hander departed a Grapefruit League start against Boston in the third inning. He had been slated to start for Tampa Bay on opening day against Colorado on Thursday.

Cash told reporters in Florida, including one from MLB.com, that the prognosis on McClanahan is "probably the best news we could have heard."

McClanahan, who turns 28 on April 28, is coming back from his second Tommy John surgery on Aug. 21, 2023.

McClanahan was selected by Tampa Bay in the first round of the 2018 amateur draft. He went 10-6 with a 3.43 ERA in 25 starts in his first big league season in 2021, finishing seventh in voting for AL Rookie of the Year.

The two-time All-Star went 11-2 with a 3.29 ERA in 21 starts before he got hurt in 2023.

With McClanahan out, Ryan Pepiot is going to start against the Rockies in the opener.

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