Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Casts Doubt on Tyler Glasnow’s September Availability
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation has been hampered by injury for the majority of the season, but as the impending postseason approaches, the pitching staff is still without its crown jewel. It remains uncertain if or when Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow will take the mound in September, according to manager Dave Roberts.
Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list on Aug. 16. At the time, it seemed like the Dodgers were merely taking a precaution with the right-hander’s elbow tendonitis.
The move to place Glasnow on the injured list was simply a safeguard, or so we thought. With less than two days until the beginning of September, Roberts told Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times that the Dodgers are ‘hopeful’ their ace will make a comeback in September.
“We’re hopeful,” Roberts said. “I think hopeful. I think that there’s still a lot of variables, to be certain. But I think everyone in the organization is hopeful.”
The answer wasn’t what Dodgers fans were hoping for. Roberts also said the right-hander will play catch on Friday, and continue throughout the weekend if he feels up to it. But there isn’t a guarantee that Glasnow will make his return to the hill before the end of the season.
Roberts couldn’t say whether the elbow tendonitis was Glasnow could pitch through if need be.
“I’m not sure about that,” he said. “I do know right now, when you’re starting up, you’re probably looking for pain-free. I think that’s probably the start. But it’s a fair question.”
As the postseason looms in the distance, a later return for Glasnow is alarming. The Los Angeles ace will need time to ramp up for the playoffs, but how can he be expected to do so if can’t make a few starts by the end of the season?
The 30-year-old has a 3.49 ERA and a 9-6 record. Glasnow has thrown a career-high strikeouts with 168 through 134 innings. The right-hander hasn’t pitched this many innings since 2017.
It’s only logical the Dodgers take a cautious approach with Glasnow, given the high volume of frames he’s pitched.
The Dodgers have faced adversity all season long. Maybe adversity is the chip on the shoulder the clubhouse requires to crack the postseason code.
Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
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I blame the training staff for all these injuries its a sign of no championship in LA not in the next 40 years
Glasnow won’t be effective in the playoffs. Shut him down, get his Tommy John surgery over with and let the healing process begin. What a mess this pitch clock has created.
It’s not Tommy John, it’s lateral epicondyle release surgery. Tendinitis usually surgery isn’t necessary, as it can heal on its own in 6-12 months. Surgery might make the elbow worse. Get it?
The pitch clock does seem to be the culprit. Its not just the Dodgers having arm issues….
Two geniuses…
It may be the pitch clock. It may be the training staff. It may be because the pitchers are bigger and throw harder than ever thus putting more strain on the pitching arm. Or maybe the teams (all teams) try to protect pitchers by limiting their workload as soon as the pitcher is signed to a contract. I wonder if the pitchers started a program at an early age whereas they had the mentality to pitch a complete game, or at least seven innings, if that would help develop their arm strength over the “long haul”. Years ago, it was the norm for a pitcher to throw at least 200 innings or more per year. For the most part, as I remember, pitchers had an equal number of years in MLB as they do today with less time on the IL.