Rays Cy Young candidate Shane McClanahan scratched at last minute with shoulder impingement

The Tampa Bay Rays were supposed to have Cy Young candidate Shane McClanahan on the mound against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. When the time came for first pitch, reliever Shawn Armstrong instead was on the mound.

After a brief moment of confusion, it didn't take long for answers to arrive.

Bally Sports' Tricia Whitaker reported McClanahan had been scratched with what the team called a left shoulder impingement, with further imaging scheduled for Wednesday.

Bally Sports aired footage of the bullpen session in which the injury apparently occurred. A half-hour before the game was supposed to begin, McClanahan can be seen gesturing at both his shoulders with coaches after a pitch.

Later, he can be seen walking away in emotional distress, with one coach physically embracing him.

The Rays (70-57) are currently fighting for an AL wild-card spot. Entering Tuesday evening, they held the first wild-card spot, but were only a half-game up on the Seattle Mariners, one game up on the Toronto Blue Jays and three on the Baltimore Orioles.

McClanahan, the American League starter in the 2022 All-Star Game, is a huge part of the team's success this season. In his second MLB season, McClanahan holds a 2.20 ERA, 0.862 WHIP and 182 strikeouts in 147.1 innings across 24 starts.