Rays Brendan McKay to have season ending surgery

Brendan McKay will not be pitching for the Rays in 2020 as he’ll undergo season ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday.

McKay, the Rays 1st round selection and 4th overall pick in the 2017 draft, quickly soared through the Rays system as a two-way player and made his big league debut this past season. In his debut season, he pitched in a total of 13 games for Tampa Bay and registered a 5.14 ERA / 4.03 FIP over 49 innings pitched, one inning short of meeting rookie eligibility.

Meanwhile, as a hitter, McKay was given 11 plate appearances and had two hits, including a home run.

Heading into 2020, McKay was set to battle for a spot in the Rays rotation, as well as a possible spot in the lineup, but the pandemic brought those plans to a halt. Then, as Summer Camp opened, McKay was among the known Rays to test positive for COVID-19.

McKay was working his way back into form when he said he suffered a setback in his shoulder, a possible recurring injury from 2019. He was officially shutdown last week with left shoulder inflammation and now the diagnosis is that he’ll require surgery, which will eliminate any chance he had of pitching this season for the Rays.

While the full extent of McKay’s injury is not known, the team is hopeful that McKay can return by Spring Training of 2021.