"Please be okay Shane we need you dawg", "They should just rest him till the playoffs" - Tampa Bay Rays fans concerned for star pitcher Shane McClanahan, who left the game early with neck injury

Pitching to Houston Astros rookie Jeremy Peña in the top of the fifth inning, McClanahan signaled to his team about something bothering him. He was subsequently pulled from the game.

McClanahan had a tough time against the Astros. The young lefty has often been untouchable this year, proven by his 2.36 ERA through 26 starts. The AL Cy Young candidate, however, was lit up by Houston. Upon his exit from the game, he gave up five runs while only striking out three in four innings of work.

Tampa Bay Rays fans, meanwhile, weren't that critical of the 23-year-old's performances. Instead, they expressed their concern about his apparent neck injury.

It was reported after the game that McClanahan was pulled due to left neck tightness. The Tampa Bay Rays ace just got back from a 15-day IL stint and played only his second game back.

With the Rays currently sitting in the final American League Wild Card slot, it was understandable why the coaching staff wanted McClanahan to immediately return to action. However, fans begged to differ.

The Rays were eventually shut out 5-0 by the Houston Astros. The latter will now attempt a sweep in tomorrow's contest, which could put the Rays in a tough spot in the Wild Card race.

How the rest of the Tampa Bay Rays' season looks

The Rays are currently in the final AL Wild Card slot. However, they are by no means safe even though they are 5.5 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. The team has a grueling schedule ahead after their series against the Astros.

They will first host the Blue Jays for a three-game set for their final home series of the year before kicking off a three-series roadtrip. They will start off with a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians, then travel to Houston for another three-game series with the Astros before finishing their regular season in Boston.

These are some tough opponents for the Tampa Bay Rays as, except for the Boston Red Sox, the other two teams are playoff contenders. It will be interesting to see if they will step up to the pressure or crumble to the finish line.

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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