When Tyler Glasnow left the mound last week at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, because of leg cramps, it was a dreary reminder of the injury struggles he has endured with the Dodgers.
Glasnow missed the postseason, and consequently the Dodgers’ World Series title run, after an elbow sprain last season. After four starts in 2025, was he in danger of seeing his season derailed again?
On Sunday, Glasnow suffered a setback of a more serious variety. Warming up before the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates — after giving up back-to-back solo home runs in the first — he doubled over to his side after releasing his last pitch. Manager Dave Roberts rushed out to the pitcher’s mound, followed by a trainer.
Glasnow’s day was done. The team announced he left because of right shoulder discomfort.
Clearly frustrated as he spoke to the media in front of his locker, Glasnow said he felt something in his shoulder grab during his warmup throws. He said the cause was likely the mechanical changes he’d been tweaking and tinkering with to prolong arm health.
“[I’m] just making a lot of changes, trying to figure out a way to stay healthy,” Glasnow said. “I think some of the changes led to other things kind of taking over, and I’m just at this point, I’m just trying to figure out what to do. It’s just extremely frustrating.”
The Dodgers overcame the departure, collecting nine runs and 14 hits to win 9-2 and claim the series over the Pirates. Often used as a bulk relief pitcher, Ben Casparius took over and excelled — tossing 3⅔ innings no-run ball, striking out five to help bridge the gap to the rest of the bullpen that combined for eight scoreless innings.
Pirates starting pitcher Bailey Falter, who entered Sunday with a 5.19 earned-run average, faltered Sunday. The Dodgers (18-10) tagged Falter for six runs (four earned) and forced Pittsburgh (11-18) to move to the bullpen in the fifth after Teoscar Hernández hit his 200th career home run — a solo shot for his eighth of the season — to give the Dodgers a 6-2 lead in the fifth.
Andy Pages also continued to mash at the plate. The Cuban outfielder entered the series hitting .183 and left his 10-for-12 barrage against the Pirates with a .277 batting average. Pages collected at least three hits in each game. He had four hits, including a two-run home run Sunday, tallying a career-high four RBIs.
“That’s what’s most important, to help the team, always,” Pages said when asked about producing well in recent games. “I know at the start of the season, they were going to give me a lot of at-bats and things were going to turn out.”
Despite the victory, attention will shift to how the Dodgers handle their pitchers.
If Glasnow’s injury is deemed longer-term, he could join Blake Snell on the injured list — with both starters now battling shoulder injuries. Roberts said he views Glasnow’s injury as a short-term issue — and that with Glasnow still figuring out how best to deal with his mechanics, an IL stint is possible.
“With Tyler it’s hard because the not feeling good, the past injuries, how his body is not synced up, the mechanics of it — there’s a lot of different pieces that you’re trying to suss out to put him in the right mental place to perform,” Roberts said. “We haven’t got there. We’re not there.”
Roberts said the training staff and Glasnow will decide whether the right-hander should undergo imaging on his shoulder.
Glasnow signed a four-year, $115-million deal — including a 2028 team option — with the Dodgers after the team acquired him from Tampa Bay in December 2023.
After dealing with cramping last season against Toronto in April, Glasnow experimented with his hydration, much like his mechanics — being one of the pitchers publicly encouraging using technology to retool pitch shapes, increasing spin and movement. Glasnow previously stated that he chugs pickle juice to help subside cramps. The lanky, 6-foot-8 starter took it one step further Saturday and received an IV to help pump fluids into him before his start against Pittsburgh.
Glasnow has spoken at length about his efforts to rework his mechanics to stay healthy, working with biometric data to adjust and avoid injury stints. Roberts said it’s a three-way effort with Glasnow.
Glasnow researches himself, the Dodgers coaching staff — pitching coach Mark Prior and assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness — adds feedback and he also gets input from a third-party, Roberts said.
Glasnow said there is a fine line between reverting back to old mechanics and what he’s been practicing. For Glasnow, he said he would do “whatever” to stay healthy.
“I’m just obsessed with trying to figure out what’s going on,” said Glasnow, who now holds a 4.50 earned-run average over five starts. “And it’s been like this for a few years, and I’m trying to find a way to stay healthy, and I’ll try to do whatever. I just don’t really have an answer right now, and I think that’s the most frustrating thing. It’s not like a lack of trying. It’s just kind of just getting exhausting at this point.”
Glasnow continued: “I feel bad for my teammates. I feel bad for people watching.”
As with last season, pitching health has been an issue for the Dodgers. If Glasnow is sent to the injured list, he’ll be the 13th Dodgers pitcher and sixth starter to miss time this season.
Right-hander Tony Gonsolin is set to return from the 60-day injured list and will make his first start since 2023 against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, Roberts said. The Dodgers manager said the team will move forward with a bullpen game Tuesday rather than call up a pitcher from triple-A for a spot start.
Clayton Kershaw likely will be the next starting pitcher off the injured list as he makes his third rehabilitation start for triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Kershaw is eligible to be activated off the 60-day injured list on May 17.