The Tampa Bay Rays placed left-hander Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list on Friday with left mid-back tightness. The team recalled right-handed reliever Alex Cook from Triple-A Durham. McClanahan left his start against the Texas Rangers on Thursday with the issue.
McClanahan said he hopes the stint will be short. “I don't want to speculate or obviously put stuff out there that could be wrong, but hopefully it's just a minimal thing,” he said. Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said McClanahan would likely miss only two starts.
Manager Kevin Cash noted the team will focus on treatment. “We'll probably take the ball out of his hand, get some treatment on his back and look to build him right back up pretty quick,” Cash said. McClanahan had compiled a 3.09 ERA in 99 innings over 20 starts this season.
The Rays, at 64-44, are seeking additional starting pitching ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. They have been linked to pitchers including Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta.