Glasnow Minimizes Concerns About Delay and Confirms Progress in His Recovery
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow downplayed concerns about a potential setback in his recovery, a day after manager Dave Roberts revealed that Glasnow’s body didn’t respond well to a recent bullpen session.
Glasnow explained that he felt “a little stiffness” in his back after a bullpen session on May 23, the first since he went on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation, 25 days prior. However, he emphasized that he temporarily stopped throwing from the mound as a precautionary measure. He also indicated that he expects to throw from the mound again before the end of the week.I feel totally fine. Totally normal.
Tyler Glasnow
Glasnow, who is on the injured list alongside Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, stated that his shoulder is “totally fine,” but did not specify a return date. Before his recent stint on the injured list, Glasnow made five starts, the last on April 27, where he only pitched one inning. He still needs to progress towards facing hitters and then extend himself enough to rejoin the rotation. Glasnow expressed his hope that his recovery will not take the approximate six weeks of a traditional spring training, although it seems increasingly likely that it will.
Glasnow was absent from last year’s playoffs, when the Dodgers relied on a three-pitcher rotation and a deep bullpen to achieve the championship. The 31-year-old right-handed pitcher was placed on the injured list on August 11 due to what was described as tendinitis in his elbow. Then, he felt discomfort during warm-up for a simulated game on September 13 and was diagnosed with a sprain in his elbow, which ended his season. Follow-up MRIs revealed that Glasnow only had tendinitis. However, he made adjustments in consultation with biomechanical specialists, both inside and outside the organization, in the hope of staying healthy. Most of these adjustments focused on identifying a better “spine angle” to keep his delivery more compact and reduce stress on his arm.I’m just taking it bullpen by bullpen. I hope I can face hitters soon. I’m trying to get out there. I want to be healthy, I want to be in the playoffs. I’m listening to the Dodgers’ coaches and trying to figure this out the best I can. My goal is to return as soon as possible in a healthy way to help the team in the playoffs.
Tyler Glasnow
It seems to have had the opposite effect.
I was opening up, so I was putting a lot of stress on my shoulder. My velocity went down, things weren’t good, the command was really bad. When it worked, like anything, it was fine. But I wasn’t on the right track and I didn’t know how to fix it because it was something new. I was late on everything. That’s the problem with every pitcher in their delivery, being late or not being on time. I think I was later than I’m usually used to. It would be a great long-term fix, but I don’t think I was doing it correctly.
Tyler Glasnow
Over the past few weeks, Glasnow has focused on combining two principles: implementing some of the subtle changes that can improve the health of his arm and maintaining his athleticism and throwing more naturally.
A lot of this is trusting my natural delivery and making sure all the basic elements of a healthy delivery are present. I think anytime I get off balance or I’m not stable, I put myself at risk. I think working with them to try not to make such drastic changes, but just get to where we’re talking about being athletic and going to throw.
Tyler Glasnow
Right now, I feel really good mechanically. Just being athletic and throwing. It’s allowed me to be more myself now. As I get on the mound more and keep going, I’ll know more.
Tyler Glasnow
The Dodgers traded for Glasnow in December 2023, following his first full season since Tommy John surgery, and then signed him to a five-year extension for nearly $140 million. The 22 starts and 134 innings Glasnow accumulated in the subsequent season represented his personal bests, a testament to the durability issues that have plagued him since his major league debut in 2016.
Now, Glasnow has joined Snell, Sasaki, and Shohei Ohtani as pitchers in rehabilitation, all progressing relatively slowly with the hope of being at their best for the final stretch.
Glasnow claims he believes he will return with enough time.I’m not going to be back very, very late. I’m trying to get back as soon as possible; they’re also trying to get me back as soon as possible, but in a healthy way. By default, I say: ‘Come on, I want to pitch now.’ But right now, I just have to trust the professionals, how I feel, and how I recover, and all that. But we’re both on the same page: ‘Let’s get you back as healthy as possible, as soon as possible, in a healthy way.’
Tyler Glasnow
