Sprained elbow ends Glasnow's season prematurely

September 14th, 2024

ATLANTA – 's season has come to an end.

After not going through with a simulated game on Friday due to right elbow discomfort as he warmed up in the bullpen, Glasnow got additional scans to determine the severity of the injury.

Those scans revealed a “sprained elbow,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday. Glasnow has been shut down from throwing for the foreseeable future, ending his season much sooner than the right-hander and the Dodgers were hoping.

“It’s a big blow,” Roberts said. “Looking at what he meant for our ballclub, what he’s done for us, what we expected him to do, certainly there’s going to be a cost. But we have to move on, and we will, and we have capable people. I feel bad for Tyler because he did everything to stay healthy and get back, and it just wasn’t going to happen.”

Glasnow was acquired from the Rays in the offseason and immediately signed a five-year, $136.5 million extension. The right-hander had dealt with numerous arm injuries throughout his career, but the Dodgers were hoping those issues were behind them.

After throwing a career-high 134 innings this season, Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list in mid-August with right elbow discomfort. Initially, the Dodgers were hoping for a minimal stint on the IL, but the injury never fully healed.

Roberts didn’t specify exactly the ligament that has been affected for Glasnow, but did add that his surgically repaired UCL is intact, some good news given the circumstances. Regarding a potential offseason procedure on Glasnow's elbow, Roberts said the Dodgers are “not thinking that far ahead.”

As the Dodgers plan to map out their postseason rotation, it looks much thinner now, given that Glasnow won’t be part of the mix. The Dodgers are currently counting on Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start the first couple of games; after that, the picture is cloudy.

Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Stone could still return, but time is ticking for both players. Kershaw has kept his arm loose as he battles a toe injury, but Roberts acknowledged that it’s going to be difficult for the left-hander to make an appearance in the regular season. If he does return, it’ll have to come with the stress of a postseason game.

As for Stone, the Dodgers will get more information when he plays catch in Miami next week. Behind Stone and Kershaw, the Dodgers’ options are Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller and Landon Knack. Of the group, Knack has been the most consistent, albeit in limited time. Miller has struggled all season long, and Buehler has battled inconsistencies as he makes his return from a second Tommy John surgery.

“I’m still confident. I don’t think there’s one way to win a championship,” Roberts said. “I think you can look back at the teams recently and how their staffs came together and who stepped up for each team’s staff. So we’re going to have the guys we have, and I feel confident in whoever we run out there. But certainly, losing Tyler for any length of time, and Clayton for any length of time, Gavin Stone and what he’s done, it’s certainly a hit. No doubt.”