Whereas warming up earlier than a simulated sport on Friday, Tyler Glasnow felt “discomfort” in his proper arm, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts informed the Orange County Register’s Invoice Plunkett and different reporters. Glasnow will bear testing this weekend to see if any structural points are current, and “I simply know we’re going to re-assess and see how he feels over the approaching days, see the place we are able to choose up throwing once more,” Roberts mentioned.
Even within the best-case situation of a clear MRI, there’s nonetheless loads of uncertainty over what this setback means for Glasnow’s possibilities of a return. The common season ends simply over two weeks, and whereas the Dodgers are a digital lock to make the playoffs, it’s removed from a certainty whether or not or not Glasnow will likely be totally wholesome and ramped up in time to hitch a postseason roster. The minor league season ends subsequent weekend, so it appears unlikely Glasnow will likely be prepared for a rehab task, so he’d need to depend on simulated video games or different prep work that doesn’t contain a correct in-game setting.
Elbow tendinitis has stored Glasnow from pitching since Aug. 11, reducing quick a high quality season that had seen the right-hander put up a 3.49 ERA and an excellent 32.2% strikeout price over 134 innings. As Plunkett notes, 109 of these innings got here earlier than Glasnow was positioned on the 15-day IL in early July as a consequence of decrease again soreness, and the righty returned from that harm to make 4 begins earlier than he was sidelined along with his elbow challenge.
Glasnow’s prolonged harm historical past is well-documented, and his 134 innings already symbolize a career-high over his 9 MLB seasons. With reference to his elbow particularly, Glasnow had a Tommy John surgical procedure in 2021 that value him virtually all of his 2022 marketing campaign with the Rays, save for 2 regular-season video games and a playoff look. An indirect pressure then delayed the beginning of his 2023 season by two months, however he stayed wholesome and posted a 3.53 ERA in 120 innings for Tampa. This efficiency impressed the Dodgers to accumulate Glasnow in a significant offseason commerce and signal him to a $136.5M extension that runs by way of the 2028 season.
Within the extra speedy time period, Los Angeles faces the prospect of not having Glasnow obtainable for his first postseason in Dodger Blue. Friday’s information is an unlucky continuation of the pitching accidents which have hampered the Dodgers all season, as 17 totally different pitchers have made not less than one begin for the membership in 2024.
L.A.’s rotation consists of Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, and Landon Knack. Past Glasnow, Roberts mentioned Gavin Stone (on the IL since Aug. 31 as a consequence of proper shoulder irritation) will begin a throwing program this weekend, however Stone’s timeline continues to be unsure. Tony Gonsolin will begin his second minor league rehab on Sunday as he works his means again from Tommy John surgical procedure. Nonetheless, Roberts beforehand downplayed the possibilities of Gonsolin returning in time for regular-season work or any playoff availability. Clayton Kershaw is throwing off a transportable mound however continues to be bothered by the bone spur in his huge left toe.
Given all the query marks the Dodgers’ pitching workers faces because the postseason approaches, Roberts raised a little bit of a stir in an interview on MLB Community Radio on SiriusXM when he implied there was a slim risk Shohei Ohtani might pitch within the playoffs. Ohtani underwent UCL surgical procedure virtually precisely one 12 months in the past and wasn’t anticipated to return to pitching till 2025, although he began to throw as a part of his established rehab plan.
In talking with Plunkett and firm Friday, Roberts revisited the subject, noting that whereas “it’s not a zero p.c likelihood” that Ohtani is offered to pitch, “the percentages of it coming to move are very slim.” The Dodgers haven’t even talked with Ohtani about pitching in 2024, and Roberts famous that “the dialog could be, ’put it out of your head.’ ”Clearly, the membership doesn’t need to do something that can jeopardize Ohtani’s long-term pitching future and even do something that will influence his availability as a hitter for not less than this 12 months’s playoffs.
