With 'happy nerves,' McKay returns to game action for 1st time since '22

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Brendan McKay felt a little nervous as he warmed up in the home bullpen at Charlotte Sports Park on Saturday afternoon. That was a good thing.

“They were happy nerves,” McKay said afterward.

That’s because McKay then made his way to the mound and pitched a scoreless inning to start the Rays’ 3-2 loss to a Red Sox split squad, his first appearance in a game since Aug. 18, 2022. The left-hander struck out two and walked one batter while throwing nine of his 16 pitches for strikes.

“I had all those nervous jitters warming up in the bullpen and getting in the dugout,” McKay said. “It feels different than throwing in a live BP or in a bullpen.”

McKay, the fourth overall Draft pick in 2017 and a former Top 100 prospect, struck out David Hamilton on three pitches to start the inning, capping the at-bat with a high 91 mph fastball. He fell behind the next two hitters, getting one to fly out and walking the other, before catching Pablo Reyes looking at a called third strike to end the inning.

“Pretty cool. Hopefully he appreciates the moment. I think he did, just realizing how hard he's worked to get back to this point,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I applaud him for the amount of effort that he's put in to get on a big league mound in this setting.”

McKay’s stuff is still coming back as he returns from Tommy John surgery, an operation he required while making rehab appearances in his comeback from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, which followed surgery on his left shoulder. His fastball consistently clocked in at 90 mph on the scoreboard radar gun, touching 91 mph, and he mixed in his curveball and changeup Saturday as well.

“I think we're in a good spot to carry on from here and hopefully gain a little bit more velocity or just get stuff a little bit tighter,” McKay said.

Given what McKay battled through just to get back on the mound in a game, though, any worries about that stuff can wait for another day. The Rays’ admiration for his determination was on display as he returned to the dugout after the first inning to find a line of teammates and coaches offering handshakes and high fives.

“I don't know that anybody's gone through what he's gone through,” pitching coach Kyle Snyder said recently. “The expectations, being a two-way player, turning into a pitcher, having to deal with injury, the litany of injuries that he's had, not facing hitters for about more than a year and a half until the other day -- it's kind of hard for me to fully process and appreciate what he's appreciating where he is right now.”

Around the horn
• Left-hander Garrett Cleavinger made his first appearance in a game since May 7, 2023, when he sustained what turned out to be a season-ending right ACL injury. The reliever gave up a solo home run to Rob Refsnyder in the sixth inning and walked Reese McGuire, but got out of the inning with a double-play grounder.

Naturally, Cleavinger’s knee was immediately tested when the first batter he faced looked like he was going to bunt and hit a grounder that forced Cleavinger to move to cover first base.

“I thought he looked good,” Cash said. “Threw strikes, landed his breaking ball behind in the count. He's another guy [where it’s] good to get back out there to do that. You're always going to have some jitters and nerves going when you come off the field with an injury like both of [McKay and Cleavinger] have.”

• Tampa Bay managed only five hits in Saturday’s game, drew six walks, struck out 13 times and didn’t score in the ninth inning after putting runners on second and third with nobody out.

• The Rays have eased their top pitchers into game action, but they’re getting in the mix now. In addition to Cleavinger working an inning against the Red Sox, high-leverage relievers Colin Poche, Jason Adam and Phil Maton faced hitters in live batting practice on Saturday morning.

Up next
The Rays will travel to face the Twins on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla. Right-hander Zack Littell will start, continuing to increase his workload as he prepares to take a spot in the Opening Day rotation.

Reliever Kevin Kelly and pitching prospect Yoniel Curet are also scheduled to pitch, as are non-roster right-handers Jacob Waguespack and Burch Smith. Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes, Harold Ramírez and Jose Siri are among the regulars expected to be in the lineup. The Rays Radio broadcast will air on WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM.