The Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday placed right-handed starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow on the 15-day injured list after experiencing back tightness over the weekend. According to manager Dave Roberts, the Dodgers expect him to be able to rejoin the rotation after the All-Star break, MLB.com's Juan Toribio relayed.
Glasnow is no stranger to health woes. This marks his fifth trip to the IL across a bit more than seven years of MLB service time. Thanks mostly to arm issues over the years, he's never been able to log a qualifying number of innings in a season. Last year with the Rays, he set a career high with 120 innings pitched.
Glasnow, who was recently named an All-Star for the first time in his career, has enjoyed a solid first season in L.A. Across 18 starts, he's pitched to a 3.47 ERA/115 ERA+ with an NL-leading 143 strikeouts and 29 unintentional walks in 109 innings.
While the injury doesn't appear to be serious, it does come at an inopportune time for the division-leading Dodgers. That's because they've been waylaid by other injuries in recent days and weeks. Glasnow on the IL joins a rotation full of starters and then some: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (strained rotator cuff), Walker Buehler (hip discomfort), Clayton Kershaw (recovery from shoulder surgery), Tony Gonsolin (recovery from Tommy John surgery), Dustin May (flexor tendon surgery), and Emmet Sheehan (Tommy John surgery). That's to say nothing of shortstop Mookie Betts (fractured hand), third baseman Max Muncy (oblique), and outfielder Jason Heyward (knee contusion). Oh, and Dave Roberts' club also has five relievers on the IL at the moment.
It speaks to the Dodgers' depth and remaining star power that they still find themselves with a 7 1/2-game lead over the Padres in the NL West and on pace for 98 wins. At some point, though, depth – even Dodgers-grade depth – runs out. They continue to test those limits.
