LOS ANGELES -- In another hit to the Dodgers' rotation, right-hander Tyler Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation ahead of Monday night's opener against the Marlins. Righty reliever Noah Davis was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding move.
One day prior, Glasnow had been removed from his start against the Pirates after warming up for the second inning. He said that he had felt something grab during his final warmup throws and departed with what was later described as right shoulder discomfort.
Glasnow did not undergo imaging on his shoulder, which the team believes to be structurally sound. But before he was placed on the IL, manager Dave Roberts said the 31-year-old right-hander was being examined by team doctors for "overall body soreness," an issue that was considered unrelated to the shoulder.
"If we're going to do this, then let's make sure that we have everything taken care of, as far as the mechanics, the physical part of it," Roberts said before Glasnow was placed on the IL. "So when we do get him back, then we can just move forward without looking back. This is going to be a tricky one as far as timeline."
Across his first five starts, Glasnow went 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 18 innings. Sunday marked his second straight start that ended prematurely due to injury, as Glasnow exited his April 20 outing in Texas after four-plus innings due to cramping in his legs.
After Sunday's start, Glasnow said he had felt some on-and-off discomfort in his shoulder, which he attributed to the mechanical changes he had made before the season. Glasnow also modified his routine in between starts, which involved no longer throwing weighted balls in favor of lower-effort long toss across greater distances. These changes were geared toward helping him stay on the field for the whole season.
During Spring Training, Glasnow said multiple times that he felt good working with his new delivery. That changed sometime between then and late April, leaving Glasnow deeply frustrated.
"I'm just obsessed with trying to figure out what's going on," Glasnow said on Sunday. "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. I know it's probably exhausting for a lot of people, for me especially, but like, I feel bad for my teammates. I feel bad for people watching. ¡ It's a very frustrating situation for me. It¡¯s hard."
Throughout his career, Glasnow has a history of arm injuries. His first season with the Dodgers ended in August due to right elbow tendinitis, leaving him on the sidelines for the team's championship run last year.
Losing Glasnow is another blow to a Dodgers rotation that is already without Blake Snell, who went on the IL with left shoulder inflammation after making two starts. Snell was throwing off the mound and inching toward a return until he was shut down from throwing again last week.
The Dodgers are taking a long-term view toward Snell's return, with the goal of ensuring that he's at his best when the team needs him down the stretch and in the postseason. The same will likely be true for Glasnow.