Rays' Brendan McKay: Shut down with another arm issue
Rotowire
McKay will be shut down for 5-to-6 weeks after being diagnosed with a flexor/pronator strain with an accompanying UCL sprain in his left elbow, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The hope is that McKay will be able to build back up after the shutdown period and return to full baseball activities in three months. However, given the nature of the injury and McKay's history (he missed all of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery), it's far from a guarantee. The lefty had pitched well at Double-A Montgomery this season before getting hurt, allowing just two runs (one earned) with a 17:1 K:BB over 18 innings.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Re-assigned to minor-league camp
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The Rays re-assigned McKay to minor-league camp Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay looked solid this spring after re-upping with the Rays on a minor-league contract, but the club wants him to knock some rust off in the minors first after missing so much time due to injury. The left-hander should open the season in Durham's rotation.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Solid in short stints
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McKay has thrown two scoreless innings while striking out three and walking one across two outings in Grapefruit League action.
McKay got positive reviews from throwing sessions and live batting practice early this spring. He's largely carried that over to game action, though he's yet to complete more than an inning in either of his outings. McKay is fighting for a roster spot, and while it may not come on Opening Day, he looks to be in line to impact the Rays' big-league roster at some point in the campaign.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Making good impression
Rotowire
McKay (elbow) has impressed the Rays with how he looked toward the end of last season and early on this spring, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay didn't pitch at all in 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and before that accumulated a total of only 28 innings from 2020-22 due to arm problems. However, the former top prospect has evidently bounced back well and will be looking to continue the momentum as a non-roster invitee in spring training. Now 28, McKay almost surely will need to go to the minors for a while to make up for lost time, but he's worth tracking.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Back with Rays
Rotowire
McKay (elbow) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Rays on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The Rays released McKay in mid-November, though it didn't take long for him to return to the club. He won't pitch at all in 2023 as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery, though the team will hope he can retake the mound with renewed health for the 2024 campaign.
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Brendan McKay: Headed to open market
Rotowire
The Rays released McKay (elbow) on Monday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
McKay cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Durham on Thursday, and he's since been handed his release. He underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-September and will set his sights on rehabbing for the entirety of the 2023 campaign with the hope of earning a contract for the 2024 season.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Removed from 40-man roster
Rotowire
McKay (elbow) cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Durham on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay missed the first four months of 2022 while he recovered from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, and he made only a handful of appearances in the minors before he required Tommy John surgery. The left-hander hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2019 and will spend the full 2023 campaign rehabbing from the elbow procedure.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Tommy John surgery completed
Rotowire
McKay underwent successful Tommy John surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
While the fact that there were no complications in McKay's surgery qualifies as good news, his long-term outlook remains shaky following his latest major operation. McKay previously underwent shoulder surgery in August 2020 and thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last November, with the latter procedure costing him most of the 2022 campaign before he suffered ligament damage to his elbow during his Aug. 25 start at Triple-A Durham. He'll spend the entire 2023 season rehabbing and recovering from Tommy John surgery with the goal of being fully cleared in advance of spring training in 2024.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Goes on 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Rays transferred McKay (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay's move to the 60-day IL will open up a spot on the 40-man roster and comes as little surprise given that he's set to undergo Tommy John surgery this week. The upcoming procedure is the latest in a long line of arm-related setbacks for the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, who has tossed just 28 total innings at any level since reaching the big leagues in 2019. Given that he'll now be sidelined for both the rest of this season and all of the 2023 campaign, the 27-year-old could be a non-tender candidate this winter.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Will undergo Tommy John surgery
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McKay will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay injured his elbow in late August, and after missing most of this season he will almost certainly miss all of the next, as his goal is to be ready to return sometime in 2024.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Dealing with UCL damage
Rotowire
McKay underwent an MRI on Friday that showed damage to the UCL in his left elbow, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay exited his start at Triple-A Durham on Thursday after throwing just one pitch, and he appears to be dealing with a significant injury. The southpaw will receive a second opinion on the issue before determining the next steps in his recovery.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Exits after one pitch
Rotowire
McKay exited his start with Triple-A Durham on Thursday after throwing only one pitch, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay was making his first appearance of the season after recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome. He's battled serious arm injuries across the last three seasons, which have greatly limited his workload. The Rays have not yet disclosed a reason for McKay's absence, but he is set to undergo an MRI on Friday.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Back from IL, sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
McKay (shoulder) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay will return to the Rays' 40-man roster after being activated Tuesday, but he will remain with Durham, where he made his most recent rehab start. The left-hander had been recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery that he required last November and hasn't pitched in the big leagues since the 2019 season. The 26-year-old posted a 2.93 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB in 15.1 innings. He'll continue to make regular starts for Durham with the hopes of pitching well enough to earn a look with the Rays at some point in September or early October.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Transfers rehab to Triple-A
Rotowire
McKay (shoulder) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay has appeared in minor-league games over the last three weeks and has posted a 3.18 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 11.1 innings across five appearances. He built up to four innings during his most recent start at Single-A Charleston and appears to be closing in on a return now that he's heading to Durham.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Shifts rehab to Single-A
Rotowire
McKay (shoulder) is scheduled to make a rehab appearance Tuesday for Single-A Charleston.
McKay will move his rehab assignment up a rung on the minor-league ladder after he made his first two appearances of 2022 with the Rays' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate last week. He covered 2.2 innings in those outings, giving up an earned run on four hits and one walk while striking out three. The lefty is expected to need most of the 30-day rehab window to get stretched back out after he missed most of the 2020 and 2021 campaigns while recovering from injuries, and once he's activated from the 60-day injured list, McKay is likely to be optioned to Triple-A Durham.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Starts up rehab assigment
Rotowire
McKay (shoulder) began a rehab assignment with the Rays' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate last Saturday and has given up one earned run on four hits and one walk while striking out three across 2.2 innings over two appearances.
The 26-year-old has resided on the 60-day injured list all season after undergoing thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last November and then experiencing renewed shoulder soreness in spring training. Because McKay has been sidelined all season and for most of the 2020 and 2021 campaigns as well due to a previous shoulder surgery, he'll likely require most or all of the 30-day rehab window to get fully ramped up. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 first-year player draft is unlikely to join the Rays once his rehab window ends and is expected to be optioned to Triple-A Durham.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Set to throw Saturday
Rotowire
McKay (shoulder) will throw in a Florida Complex League game Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Nothing has been reported on McKay's status since he was shut down in April, but he has apparently made good progress behind the scenes and is ready to appear in a game situation. It's not clear what his next step will be after Saturday's appearance, but the time between this update and the next figures to be far shorter than it was between this one and the last.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Shut down with soreness
Rotowire
McKay has been shut down from throwing for a few days due to renewed soreness in his shoulder, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay's recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in November hasn't been ideal, as he was placed on the 60-day injured list to begin the season and is still dealing with some soreness. The 26-year-old can't be activated from the injured list until at least early June, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to go by that point.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Goes on 60-day IL
Rotowire
Tampa Bay recalled McKay from Triple-A Durham on Thursday and placed him on the 60-day injured list, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
The team didn't provide a specific explanation behind McKay's placement on the IL, but he presumably needs additional time to advance through his throwing program while he works his way back from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, which he underwent last November. Solondz reported March 17 that McKay considered himself fully healthy at the start of spring training, but he never appeared in any Grapefruit League games before being optioned to the minors. It's unclear if McKay suffered a setback at some point, or if the Rays were merely withholding the lefty from game action as a matter of caution.
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Rays' Brendan McKay: Optioned to minors
Rotowire
McKay was optioned to minor-league camp Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
McKay underwent thoracic outlet surgery in November, though he reported to camp fully healthy. He didn't enter a game with the big-league club in spring training, and he will likely need a significant ramp up period after tallying only 12.2 innings and 25 plate appearances in 2021.
