The Tampa Bay Rays placed ace Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list with mid-back tightness, the team announced Saturday.
Left-hander Jalen Beeks was recalled from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding roster move.
The decision to put McClanahan on the IL comes one day after he lasted just three innings in his start against the Seattle Mariners. Despite making Friday's start on seven days' rest, the 26-year-old allowed a season-high four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out just one.
Friday marked McClahanan's second straight shortened start; he lasted just 3.2 innings June 22 against the Kansas City Royals due to a similar back issue amid declining velocity. After that start, manager Kevin Cash expressed optimism that his ace wouldn't need to go on the IL.
The IL stint puts an end to any hopes of McClahanan starting the All-Star Game for a second consecutive season, but the upcoming break means it's possible that he could only end up missing one start if the issue clears up quickly. Both he and the Rays are confident that will happen, and he's already targeting a July 16 return against Kansas City, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
"We've got a lot of ballgames left to play, and an IL stint in early July, missing one start, is not the end of the world," McClanahan said Friday, according to Topkin. "With a lot of meaningful games, hopefully in October, I want to make sure we correct it now."
McClanahan has again been among the AL's best pitchers this season, sporting an 11-1 record with a 2.53 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts across 17 starts for the MLB-best Rays.
Beeks, who replaces McClanahan on the active roster, returns to the Rays after three games in Triple-A. The 29-year-old owns a 5.82 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 25 big-league outings this year, including seven starts as an opener.
