When Rays ace Shane McClanahan exited in the fourth inning Thursday night with mid-back tightness, of course, the instant concern was about the condition of arguably the AL Cy Young frontrunner.
But there also was concern about the mounting injuries to Tampa Bay’s starting pitchers.
The Rays did not immediately announce the severity of the injury, though McClanahan said he did not believe it to be serious.
Tampa Bay, though, already was dealing with substantial rotation loss that McClanahan has been helping to minimize by being not only brilliant (leading MLB with a 2.23 ERA) but durable (tied for the MLB lead with 16 starts).
League stats show that pitching injuries, while substantial, have not been much more prevalent than during previous recent seasons.
From the opening of spring training through the 83rd day of the regular season this past Wednesday, there had been 288 pitchers placed on the injured list, compared to 277 last season at the same point and 306 in 2021 (after the shortened, 60-game 2020 pandemic season) and 247 in 2019.
Since the regular season began, there were 167 IL stints for pitchers through 86 days this year, 183 last year, 218 in 2021 and 162 in 2019.
Pitching IL stints grew to historic highs in recent years for many reasons, including a generalized philosophy to have pitchers max out on velocity and spin with regularity, plus more liberal use of the IL.
There has been concern that making pitchers work more quickly with a clock would also factor in. But the year over year numbers suggest that has not occurred. Yet.
But nobody knows the withering impact it may have over the long season; it is a huge concern in front offices.
It also just could be that pitching is an inherently unhealthy activity. There were 184 position-player IL stints compared to those 288 for pitchers.
What stands out this year is how ravaged certain rotations, particularly of projected contenders, have been.
Tampa Bay epitomizes the epidemic.
Part of every season is navigating players lost to injury, notably pitchers.
But just look at how this season is being shaped by the loss of pitchers and who is and isn’t managing it best:
Tampa Bay Rays
The organization that brought you the opener believed its rotation was going to be a major asset. And it has been.
Amazingly, the Rays led MLB in starter ERA (3.21), though Drew Rasmussen (flexor tendon) was lost at least for most of the season and Jeffrey Springs (Tommy John surgery) for all of it after both began 2023 so superbly.
Josh Fleming (elbow) is out for an extended period. Tyler Glasnow (oblique) did not make his first start until May 27.
Zach Eflin missed two weeks with a lower back ailment. Shane Baz, expected to provide potential depth, will miss the season after Tommy John surgery.
Ever resourceful, Tampa Bay still generated MLB’s best record despite tying the MLB high by using 13 starters.
But that has been with McClanahan as the bulwark and never missing a start.
New York Yankees
Gerrit Cole is like McClanahan, the durable ace and Cy Young contender who has not missed a start while all around him has crumbled.
Frankie Montas and Carlos Rodon have yet to pitch in the majors in 2023.
Luis Severino came back about when Nestor Cortes went down. Luis Gil, potential depth, might be a factor late after he had Tommy John surgery last year.
The rotation injuries, plus Aaron Judge’s injury, stand out amid the Yankees leading the majors, through Thursday, in games missed to the IL this year with 856.
Los Angeles Dodgers
They were second (831) in IL games missed and, like McClanahan and Cole, Clayton Kershaw has been the durable ace and Cy Young contender.
The Dodgers knew they would be operating most of this season without Walker Buehler (Tommy John). The three other veteran members of the season-opening rotation — Dustin May, Noah Syndergaard and Julio Urias — are all currently on sustained IL stints.
Tony Gonsolin missed the first month, Michael Grove (who was in the opening rotation) missed more than a month, and Ryan Pepiot has been out the whole year so far.
Houston Astros
AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander left via free agency and was not replaced.
Then Luis Garcia (Tommy John) was lost for the season, Jose Urquidy (shoulder) has missed nearly two months already, and the Astros recently learned Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow) will not pitch this season.
The weight falls heavily on Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez.
Much will rest on whether the Astros, so good at rebuilding from the loss of nearly all of their 2017 championship rotation, can get high-level efforts from Hunter Brown and J.P. France.
Atlanta Braves
Ace Max Fried and Kyle Wright, who won 21 games in 2022, both have missed most of the season so far. Hoped-for depth from Huascar Ynoa and Mike Soroka has not materialized due to injury and performance.
Yet the Braves have the NL’s best record despite using 12 starters.
Atlanta hardly ever has a touted farm system, but nevertheless breaks in players who help quickly, as Spencer Strider did in the rotation last season and Bryce Elder has this year.
New York Mets
They had lost the fourth-most IL games (760), but unlike the five teams listed above, the Mets did not compensate well enough to enter the weekend in a playoff spot.
Verlander and Carlos Carrasco each missed a little more than a month. Jose Quintana has yet to pitch. Max Scherzer has endured ailments without going on the IL (though he missed 10 games for a sticky-stuff suspension).
The Mets’ belief system to get to the playoffs remains the same — that Quintana will return around the All-Star break for stability, and Scherzer and Verlander will start pitching like their historic selves.
Cleveland Guardians
Other clubs could be here for losing key pitchers to Tommy John surgery — such as the Rangers (Jacob deGrom) and Mariners (Robbie Ray).
But Cleveland’s identity has long revolved around its rotation, and the Guardians will hardly have Triston McKenzie (first shoulder, elbow) while also enduring sustained absences to Peyton Battenfield, Aaron Civale and Cal Quantrill.
