Missing start with back issue McClanahan was placed on the 10-day injured list with a stiff back Friday but is only expected to miss one start, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Impact The Rays have a comfortable nine-game lead over their division rivals, so they can afford to manage their young pitchers' workloads down the stretch in an effort to keep them at full strength for the playoffs. McClanahan has had an excellent rookie season, riding a 27.5 percent strikeout rate to a 3.59 ERA, and while his 110.1 innings this year don't represent a particularly high workload, he's already just 10.1 innings shy of his career high. The Rays presumably hope that he'll wind up making multiple starts in the postseason, so there's little reason to push him through even a minor injury in the final few weeks of the regular season. Chris Archer is expected to step back into the rotation for a spot start.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 • ROTOWIRE