According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow said his elbow feels better after playing catch on Saturday and that he expects to make starts in September.
He did not specify an exact timeframe for his comeback, but he did assure fans that his time on the injured list would finish before the regular season.
When reporters asked Dodgers manager Dave Roberts if he was certain Glasnow will return to the Los Angeles rotation before the end of the season, his response was less than compelling.
“We’re hopeful,” Roberts added. “I am hopeful. To be certain, I believe there are many more variables. But I believe everyone in the company is hopeful.”
It’s crucial for Glasnow to return in September to get ready for the playoffs and regain his top form.
Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list on August 16 due to elbow tendonitis. The move appeared to be a precautionary measure by the Dodgers to protect their ace.
At 30 years old, Glasnow has a 3.49 ERA and a 9-6 record, with a career-high 168 strikeouts over 134 innings—a workload he hasn’t handled since 2017.
Alongside Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is also on the injured list, though his recent progress suggests he could return in the next couple of weeks. Yamamoto is recovering from a strained rotator cuff and recently retired six of seven batters he faced in a rehab outing for Oklahoma City. The Dodgers plan for him to make another rehab start soon.
Additionally, the Dodgers announced on Saturday that veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw has been placed on the injured list. As of Saturday, three of the Dodgers’ five starting pitchers are on the IL, creating a challenging situation as they face division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks in a four-game series this weekend.
Andrew Friedman had high hopes for Glasnow to lead the Dodgers’ rotation. While the team couldn’t foresee the series of injuries to the pitching staff, significant investments have been made in Glasnow and Yamamoto to lead the Dodgers in the postseason.
If the Dodgers face a similar fate as the previous two years—dominating the regular season only to falter in the playoffs—their efforts may seem futile.
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