PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The journey back from medical purgatory was long, frustrating, arduous, demanding, isolated, stressful, and filled with roadblock and pitfalls.
Now that the trauma of the past two years is in the rear-view mirror, Tampa Bay lefthander Shane McClanahan is ready to forge ahead.
Optimistic, engaging, humorous, confident, committed.
This is the McClanahan displayed to the media Feb. 12 and that’s when the Rays opened their spring camp at the Charlotte Sports Park. For the record, McClanhan last picked up a baseball in a competitive major league game on August, 2, 2003 during a contest at Yankee Stadium.
Coming after two years of recovering from his first of two Tommy John surgeries in August, 2023 and last spring with triceps issues, McClanhan, who will be 29 years-old on April 28, said the road back was as challenging as this has been educational.
“Look, this was a long process and I’m still healing just a little bit,” McClanhan said. “After this ordeal, I really have an appreciation for this normal, daily life. I’ll still be the same guy this year. I’m the guy who loves to win and who loves his community. At the same time, there is a side of me which fans have probably not seen. A little more professional, and more emotionally put together. I feel I’m feel more of a complete player.”
In the time away from the game, his teammates and the aura of a major league experience made McClanahan look differently at his profession and the impact on his own life. Growth and maturity have developed and the native of central Florida (born in Baltimore and moved when he was six) said he gained a great appreciation of life away from the baseball diamond.
Now, the agonizing road back is over. In the Rays’ spring clubhouse here, McClanhan told reporters he is ready to rejoin his teammates and is physically ready to compete.
“In the past two years, I learned how important is this game,” he said. “To be honest, I learned to find happiness in everyday life. I got rid of the identity that I’m a baseball player and that’s all I am and all I do. So, I had a choice. I could feel sorry for myself and hate your life or find the positive each day. That’s what my dad (who recently passed away) would want.”
McClanahan’s value to the Rays is evident.
When he went down with left forearm tightness in the middle of the 2023 season, which eventually transitioned into Tommy John surgery, McClanhan had been named to his second consecutive American League All-Star team, and for community effort, named the Rays’ Roberto Clemente Award nominee.
Between the lines in 2023, he won 11 of 13 decisions and at the time of his injury, sported a 3.29 ERA. That included 121 strikeouts in 115.0 innings.
“No one can feel the challenge coming back but the player,” manager Kevin Cash said of McClanahan. “You want to be sensitive to this. For Shane, the second injury (the triceps) was so unique, and we needed to be patient for him. The fact that he has somewhat of a normal off-season will bode really well for him. That’s once he gets back on the mound this year.”
Still, the recovery period is strenuous, laborious and grueling. Just ask one of McClanahan’s teammates.
“Injuries suck,” said outfielder Jonny DeLuca, who missed the majority of the past two seasons due to a plethora of injuries. “It’s tough to watch from the sidelines and from the dugout. It’s kind of put a little fire in me to go out and compete.”
Ditto for McClanahan.
Elsewhere …with pitchers and catchers reporting in Feb 12, Erik Neander, the club’s president of baseball operation, told reporters there were no immigration or visa issues. All players who were scheduled to be in camp were present … Pitchers and catchers continue their workouts until Feb. 17th. That’s when they joined by the position players for their reporting date … The Rays first pre-season game is at home against Atlanta on Saturday Feb 21.
