Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow ‘highly unlikely’ to return this season after elbow injury

Tyler Glasnow is “highly unlikely” to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers again this season, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Saturday.

The right-hander was scheduled to throw a two-inning simulated game Friday as he continued to recover from right elbow tendinitis that put him on the injured list in mid-August. However, Glasnow felt discomfort after throwing 20 warmup pitches and the session was cut short.

Roberts called the development a “setback” in a hint of worse news to come. An MRI exam revealed a sprain in his right elbow.

Glasnow finishes his first season in Los Angeles with a 3.49 ERA, 168 strikeouts in 134 innings and a 9–6 record in 22 starts. The 134 innings is the most he has thrown in his nine major league seasons. Glasnow was acquired by the Dodgers from the Tampa Bay Rays last December and subsequently agreed to a five-year, $136.5 million contract.

Throughout his career, Glasnow has struggled with injuries, including going on the injured list in July with back tightness. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 after struggling through elbow and forearm injuries during his previous six seasons. But after throwing 120 innings and making 21 starts last season, the Dodgers were confident about signing Glasnow to a long-term contract.

In the short term, Los Angeles loses another key starting pitcher for its upcoming postseason run. The team had already lost rookie River Ryan, Tony Gonsolin and Emmet Sheehan, each of whom required season-ending surgery. Dustin May suffered a torn esophagus in July that ended his season.

Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto project to be healthy through October, but the Dodgers hoped that most of their injured arms would be available for the playoffs. That now won’t be the case with Glasnow’s season-ending injury added to uncertainty regarding Clayton Kershaw, Gavin Stone, Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller.

Rookie Landon Knack is also doubtful as a reliable option after allowing five runs, seven hits and two walks in Friday’s 6–2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Considering the circumstances, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising Roberts won’t completely rule out the possibility of Shohei Ohtani pitching in the postseason, as unlikely as that is.