The Dodgers on Tuesday announced starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow was placed on the injured list with lower back tightness. In a corresponding move they recalled reliever Michael Petersen from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters Glasnow won’t require an MRI after his back tightened up on him Sunday according to Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic.
While the lack of an MRI is good news, another injured starting pitcher is not. LA now has Glasnow, Walker Buehler, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw on the IL. That top four, when healthy, would be the best rotation in baseball.
Adding Glasnow to Los Angeles’s injury situation may boost the team’s urgency to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, which is just three weeks from Tuesday. Depending on his recovery and the recovery of other pitchers on the IL there may be a pretty significant void in the Dodgers’ rotation by the time the July 30 deadline rolls around.
Glasnow won’t be able to pitch in the All-Star Game now after being named to the team for the first time this year. Hunter Greene of the Cincinnati Reds has been given the roster spot vacated by the injured Dodgers starter.
It’s unclear how much time Glasnow will miss. The IL stint is retroactive to July 6, and the All-Star break will give him a few extra days off. Back injuries can be tricky so there are no guarantees that Glasnow will cruise off the IL and back into the starting rotation as soon as the break is over, but assuming he doesn’t have any setbacks it looks like he’ll be on track to continue leading the Dodgers rotation sometime after the All-Star break.