Shane McClanahan DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan (elbow) threw his first live batting practice session of spring training on Tuesday and was clocking in at up to 97-98 mph, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. McClanahan missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but the 27-year-old southpaw is already looking good in camp and has been named the team's Opening Day starter on March 28 against the Colorado Rockies. He's not expected to have any restrictions during spring training, but the Rays will surely cap his innings around 150 in 2025, which limits his fantasy upside. Still, McClanahan should be rostered in all formats and is a top-40 starting pitcher at RotoBaller. McClanahan showed ace potential before his second TJ surgery and has a 3.02 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in his three big-league seasons.

According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan has been named the Opening Day starter. Manager Kevin Cash noted it was a "pretty easy choice." McClanahan missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery he underwent in August 2023. The southpaw made the All-Star game in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He enjoyed his best campaign in 2022, where he held a 2.54 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP across 166 1/3 innings. He tallied 194 punchouts and only served up 38 free passes. Then, in 2023, McClanahan posted a 3.29 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP across 115 innings of work. The left-hander is not expected to face any restrictions during spring training, but he may be given a slight innings limit during the regular season. Nonetheless, fantasy managers should draft McClanahan when looking for strikeout upside.

Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan (elbow) told Bally Sports Florida's Ryan Bass on Wednesday morning that he is "100%" ready to go for spring training with zero restrictions. McClanahan was seen on Wednesday throwing warm-up tosses before his first bullpen session of spring training. The 27-year-old southpaw starter had Tommy John surgery in August of 2023 and missed all of 2024 as a result. The former first-rounder and two-time All-Star has already exhibited ace potential for fantasy managers, but his draft stock will be down in 2025 since he's expected to be limited to around 150 innings this year. In his three years in the big leagues with the Rays, McClanahan has gone 33-16 with a 3.02 ERA (3.36 FIP), a 1.10 WHIP and 456:116 K:BB in 404 2/3 frames over 74 starts. Fantasy managers should treat him as a low-end No. 3 starter/high-end No. 4 starter in upcoming drafts.