Los Angeles Dodgers fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief after the latest update on Tyler Glasnow's injury. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that the star pitcher's MRI results came back clean, revealing "nothing really significant" after Glasnow was pulled from his start against the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-8 right-hander had just notched his 1,000th career strikeout—a milestone moment—when he felt his back tighten up while stepping onto the field for the second inning. Glasnow described the issue as familiar back spasms, a recurring problem he's dealt with since his teenage years. "It kind of just gives out. Being tall, I guess. I get it a couple times a year," Glasnow explained, adding that the discomfort hit during a warm-up pitch and made it too difficult to continue.
Roberts initially downplayed the severity after Wednesday's game, noting that this type of injury has historically been manageable. "Given it's something that's recurring, looking at the history, it hasn't been an IL situation. It's been more of pushing him back a couple days," the manager said. His optimism proved well-founded after Friday's MRI results, though the team remains in a "holding pattern" to monitor Glasnow's recovery over the coming days.
The timing couldn't be better for the Dodgers, who are set to activate Blake Snell on Saturday. Snell's return provides a much-needed boost to the rotation and gives the team flexibility to potentially skip Glasnow's next start, allowing extra time for his back to settle. Additionally, the Dodgers have called up 6-foot-6 right-hander Paul Gervase as a taxi-squad player for the current homestand. While Gervase isn't on the active roster yet, he's available if the team needs to make an emergency move—whether due to another injury or a decision to place Glasnow on the IL.
For now, the Dodgers are taking a cautious approach with their ace, and fans can take comfort in knowing this isn't a new or alarming issue. As Glasnow put it, "It's not too serious. I've had this a few times. Just one of those things." With Snell stepping in and the rotation depth holding strong, Los Angeles appears well-positioned to weather this brief storm.
