News about Shane McClanahan

Shane McClanahan, the all-Star left-hander with the Tampa Bay Rays, will not pitch again this season. Kevin Cash, the Rays' manager, said before McClanahan's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, that his arm will be examined shortly, but that it is "highly unlikely" that he will pitch again this season. Tommy John surgery, flexor surgery, or loosening of the body are among the options under consideration, according to Cash.

In a 6-5 loss to the lowly Kansas City Royals on Thursday night, the major league-leading Tampa Bay Rays lost ace Shane McClanahan to mid-back tightness. McClanahan had hoped to be the year's first 12-game champion before falling with two outs in the fourth. In a 66-pitch outing, the left-hander, who has been 11-1 this season, gave up two runs, four hits, and two walks. Maikel Garcia began with a walk from Pete Fairbanks (0-2) to start the ninth and then stole second and third positions. Garcia scored on MJ Melendez's infield single down the first-base line, putting the Royals ahead 6-5 after Fairbanks had two strikeouts. Overall, the Royals stole seven bases.

After winning their 11th straight game Tuesday night, the Tampa Bay Rays are just two games away from ending their longest streak in MLB history. The Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 7-2 with another homer from Brandon Lowe and another solid effort by Shane McClanahan. In the fifth inning, Yandy Diaz and Lowe fired back-to-back solo shots, with two of them out. Lowe's home run extended his winning streak to four games in a row.

Congratulations, you've made it. The baseball offseason is over, and we're going full steam ahead of Opening Day on Thursday. Pitchers from all 30 MLB clubs will take the field in just a few hours, with fresh optimism and renewed hope that this is going to be *their* year. There have been a slew of changes, none of which we'll discuss here, but there is certainly more excitement among fans than ever before.

In a matinee match against the Blue Jays, the Tampa Bay Rays made baseball history by fielding MLB's first ever all-Latino lineup in a matinee game. What's more, the historic event took place on the 21st annual Roberto Clemente Day, which honors the life of the Puerto Rican hero and Pittsburgh Pirates legend, who tragically died in a plane crash a half century ago. Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena of Cuba, Manuel Margot and Jose Siri, Manuel Margot and Jose Siri of the Domincan Republic, Colombia's Harold Ramirez, Venezuela's David Perez and Rene Pinto, and Mexico's Isaac Paredes were among the Rays lineup participants on Thursday.