Dodgers News: Tyler Glasnow Believes His Injury Issues Are Behind Him

With the Dodgers acquiring starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays, they have now addressed their biggest priority this winter. But they aren’t done yet, and due to the injury history of Glasnow, there are some concerns.

When healthy, Glasnow is one of the best pitchers across baseball. One problem throughout his career: time missed due to injury.

Glasnow underwent elbow surgery in Aug. 2021 and worked his way back into the Rays’ rotation over the last two seasons. Glasnow acknowledged that it’s fair for people to knock his injury issues from the past, but he believes the problems are behind him.

“I mean, given the amount of innings and the amount of injuries the previous years, I think, to say that is probably fair,” Glasnow said of being criticized for not being able to stay healthy. “I think that, for me, the majority of the innings that I’ve missed had been related to the same (elbow) injury.

Per Tyler Glasnow via The Orange County Register

While Glasnow did undergo surgery to repair his torn UCL, he noted that it was not a simple, traditional Tommy John surgery. He is confident that his arm will hold up and has said that he has felt great since.

“I got that hybrid surgery. It’s kind of the new evolution of Tommy John with that synthetic collagen band thing,” he said. “So, in my brain, I have double the strength. It’s one of those things where I got so used to having the issue in ’19, there was a moment where I just kind of assumed this was something I was going to have to deal with my whole career. Then when I did go under and had the surgery and it healed and got to where it needed to be I was like – it’s just a night-and-day difference.”

Per Tyler Glasnow via The Orange County Register

Glasnow’s procedure, commonly known as an InternalBrace repair, requires a shorter recovery period than the typical Tommy John, and comes with a similar expectation for post-surgical performance.

The hope is that Glasnow can remain healthy over the course of his new deal. This surgery likely helped him reach his career-high 21 starts last season, and the Dodgers hope he can add to his total of 120 innings.

Glasnow is going to be counted on heavily, especially in 2024. The Dodgers remain confident about his injury concerns. They wouldn’t have traded for him or signed him to a large extension if they weren’t.

Now, Glasnow is coming home to Southern California to play for his hometown team. There are big expectations on his shoulders, but at least the tension in his elbow appears to be light.

Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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