Rays reinstate McClanahan from 60-day IL, extend Waguespack?

ST. PETERSBURG -- Facing a deadline to reinstate players from the 60-day injured list on Monday, the Rays activated ace Shane McClanahan and extended right-hander Jacob Waguespack as part of a series of moves.

The Rays reinstated McClanahan from the 60-day IL, with the expectation that the two-time All-Star will be ready for Spring Training after recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The Rays also reinstated Waguespack and agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million contract extension for 2025 with a club option for ‘26. Waguespack’s 2026 option is worth $1.5 million, with an additional $500,000 available if he reaches certain thresholds in games started or relief appearances.

McClanahan effectively completed his rehabilitation program on Sept. 25 by throwing an inning of live batting practice at Tropicana Field, setting him up for a normal, healthy offseason before his return to the top of Tampa Bay’s rotation. He underwent his second Tommy John surgery?on Aug. 21, 2023, and missed the entire 2024 season, as expected.

“He’s doing great. He ended the year as a fully healthy and cleared pitcher to have a normal offseason and build up into Spring Training,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Monday from the GM Meetings in San Antonio. “With the missed time, you always have the questions about how to navigate a full season and get through it responsibly. But with where he is with his health and everything, he’s going to come into camp as a fully healthy member of our club.”

Waguespack cracked the Rays’ Opening Day roster after a strong showing in Spring Training, but the 30-year-old only made four appearances for Tampa Bay this year. He sustained a right shoulder injury while pitching for Triple-A Durham on May 2, went on the 15-day IL on May 6, then was transferred to the 60-day IL on May 18 to give the Rays some roster flexibility. He dealt with back issues after that, but he went on a rehab assignment in September and joined the Rays on the road in case he was needed during the final week of the season.

The Rays seem to have plenty of depth in both their rotation and bullpen heading into the offseason, but Waguespack could prove to be useful in a variety of roles given his experience as a starter and reliever.

“Obviously this past year, the health and the back, he lost a lot of time, but [we] have confidence about his health moving forward,” Neander said. “Knowing him for another year, having a full offseason of him being fully healthy, there’s a stubborn belief that we have in the player and the person that his best is in front of him.

“Just think he’s someone that can come in and compete for a role that gives us length, compete for a role out of the 'pen. Just a lot of different ways it can go right for him, and he can help us. He’s all in for doing whatever he can to help the team.”

The Rays also opened a few spots on their 40-man roster on Monday, parting ways with catcher René Pinto and relievers Justin Sterner and Joel Kuhnel. Pinto was claimed off waivers by the Orioles, Sterner was claimed by the Athletics and Kuhnel became a free agent after clearing waivers.

Removing Pinto from the roster only reinforces Tampa Bay’s need for help behind the plate this offseason, as the only two catchers remaining on the 40-man roster are Ben Rortvedt and rookie Logan Driscoll. The Rays are likely to pursue a right-handed complement to Rortvedt, as Neander previously said upgrading at catcher would be a “priority.”

“There’s some guys out there that can help us. More a matter of going through it and seeing where it ends up,” he said Monday. “One way or another, we have to have better production than what we had last year if we want to win more games than we did last year.”

Rays officials spent last offseason and Spring Training publicly supporting Pinto as their starting catcher, and he got the nod behind the plate on Opening Day. But he struggled offensively and defensively, lost playing time to Rortvedt, got optioned to Triple-A on May 3 and never returned to the Majors.

Sterner made his MLB debut for the Rays on May 31 and had one more appearance before being sent down. Kuhnel pitched eight innings over five appearances from July 31-Aug. 24.