A day after the 29-year-old exited his start against the Texas Rangers with back tightness, he was placed on the injured list, the team’s president of baseball operations Erik Neander told 95.7 WDAE on Friday.
In a corresponding move, right-hander Alex Cook was recalled from the triple-A Durham Bulls to join Tampa Bay’s bullpen. Cook appeared in 29 games for the Bulls this season, registering a 1-2 record with a 3.78 ERA.
In 20 games this season, McClanahan is 9-6 with a 3.09 ERA for the first-place Rays. It has been a resurgent campaign for the two-time all-star, after he missed both the 2024 and ’25 seasons with injury.
This injury, however, is not expected to be a long-term issue, with Neander adding it’s a “pretty minor” issue, expected to only keep him out of a couple of starts.
Tampa Bay will open a three-game series against the AL Central-leading White Sox on Friday, with Nick Martinez taking the mound for the Rays.