4:05 p.m: Topkins relay Word from Cash, who says McClanahan’s MRI confirms the impingement diagnosis and calls it a “best-case scenario.” McClanahan is on a cortisone shot and could return after the minimum 15-day absence.
1:00 pm: The Rays announced they placed starters Shane McClanahan injured by left shoulder impingement and infielder on day 15 Brandon Lowe on the 10-day injured list, backdated to August 28, with a right tricep bruise. infielders/outfielders Vidal Brujan and right handed Calvin Faucher were recalled in appropriate trains.
McClanahan’s move may be disappointing, but it’s hardly surprising. He was due to start yesterday but felt his injury surface when he threw his bullpen before the game and never actually threw a pitch in the game. Both he and manager Kevin Cash expressed cautious optimism after the game, believing an extended absence would not be necessary. That could still turn out to be true, but the team seems to think it will take him at least two weeks before he can contribute again. It remains to be seen whether it will take longer.
Even if he misses the bare minimum, it will still be a significant loss to Tampa. The southpaw has pitched 147 1/3 innings this year with a 2.20 ERA, 32.5% strikeout rate, 5.4% walk rate, and 52.3% ground ball rate . This elite production landed him squarely in the American League’s Cy Young debate. While the Rays are known for hoarding quality deep pieces, any team would suffer to lose that caliber of performance.
It’s been a frustrating stop-and-start season for Lowe, though this is just the latest setback. He landed on the IL for the first time in mid-May due to lower back problems. He was missing for about two months because of this illness and returned in mid-July. Then on Friday he was hit by bad luck, who was diagnosed with a bruised elbow at the time. He has been sidelined for the club’s last few games but it seems the injury is lasting enough for him to be sidelined for at least another week. Despite those injuries, he was still able to produce for Tampa, hitting .234/.319/.405 in 61 games. That equates to a wRC+ of 114, down from last year’s 137 but still 14% above the league average.
With both Lowe and McClanahan out, the Rays will have to make do with a weakened rotation and lineup for a while. They currently hold the top wild card berth in the American League, despite trailing the Mariners by just half a game and separating the Blue Jays by a single game from the Rays. There’s a little more breathing room as far as the top non-playoff teams, with the Orioles and Twins three games behind. Still, it’s going to be a close race for the rest of the schedule with just five weeks left. The Rays are certainly hoping to not only secure a playoff berth, but also secure home field advantage in the first round by retaining the top wild card slot. Hopefully a little time out for Lowe and McClanahan will allow them to come back and do their part on track.
Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin announced the move ahead of the official announcement (Twitter connections).