Rays' Shane McClanahan: Triple digits in start

McClanahan, who fired a scoreless first inning in Wednesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates, hit 101 mph on the radar gun during his impressive outing, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. "There was also a lot of strikes, which I'm more happy about," McClanahan said. "I've been feeling good. The guys here put me in a good position to be healthy and to be ready to compete, day in and day out, so I think that's just the result of being prepared."

McClanahan isn't embellishing with his remarks about location, as he found the strike zone with eight of his 10 pitches. In addition to the triple-digit heater, McClanahan also deployed his slider with great effectiveness, raising expectations further about what he might be able to accomplish in 2021 as a left-handed bullpen option for manager Kevin Cash. The southpaw is trying to render his struggles two seasons ago at Double-A Montgomery -- his highest stop in the minors to date -- irrelevant by making a strong enough case for an Opening Day roster spot in spring training.