Ever since the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Tyler Glasnow in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in December 2023, the right-handed starting pitcher has struggled to stay healthy.

He missed a few weeks with lower back tightness last July, then missed all of the postseason with elbow tendinitis. And now, a shoulder injury has kept Glasnow off the mound after just five starts this season.

The Dodgers have emphasized they do not want to rush Glasnow back, as they want to ensure he is fully healthy and will be able to pitch in October. 

Glasnow finally seems to be nearing his long-awaited return. He had another rehab start on Thursday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, which could be the last before he is reactivated.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he is hopeful Glasnow’s next start will be with Los Angeles.

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However, Glasnow recently faced an apparent setback in his recovery process in his second rehab start. The Dodgers expected Glasnow to pitch four innings in his second rehab start on June 27 but he only threw 2.1 innings. The Dodgers sent the 2024 National League All-Star on the rehab assignment on June 22.

Before the injury, Glasnow logged a 4.50 ERA and 23 strikeouts across five starts. Last season, he accrued a 3.49 ERA and ranked 15th in the NL with 168 strikeouts in 22 starts.

The Dodgers expected Glasnow to be one of five potential aces in their rotation after recovering from the elbow sprain that sidelined him through the postseason. But in addition to Glasnow, starting pitchers Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki sustained early-season injuries.

Snell could return in July but Los Angeles is preparing for the rest of the season without Sasaki, who will not return before the All-Star break.

The Dodgers got two-way player Shohei Ohtani back on the mound after he spent all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Los Angeles would benefit from Glasnow returning, as they are currently navigating a severely depleted rotation. On the bright side, reinforcements appear to be on the way.

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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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