PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Pitchers and catchers for the Tampa Bay Rays took to the field Wednesday in Port Charlotte, and all eyes were on one arm in particular.

More Spring Training Headlines

It has been 18 months since Shane McClanahan pitched in a major league game. He had Tommy John surgery late in the 2023 season to repair a ligament.

The two-time All-Star threw his first bullpen session to new Rays catcher Danny Jansen and couldn't contain his excitement about the moment.

"I missed it a lot, man. You know, I missed being out there, the good and the bad," he said. "I just missed competing alongside these guys. So to be here, it's cool, cool to be back."

In 49 starts before the injury, he went 23-10 with a 2.85 ERA and 315 strikeouts in 281 1/3 innings.

Teammates like Ryan Pepiot had never seen the 27-year-old USF product pitch in person, only on TV. He said he was excited to see McClanahan up close.

Manager Kevin Cash, asked if McClanahan would be under any restrictions, said the pitcher is "100 percent good to go."

Use the video player above to watch the report by Spectrum Sports 360's Mike Cairns.