Dodgers' Dave Roberts Delivers Bad News on Tyler Glasnow's Recovery

The oft-injured right-hander is again slow to bounce back from an injury.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) reacts after giving up a three-run home run to the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium on April 10, 2026. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers knew what they were getting when they traded for Tyler Glasnow and signed him to a five-year contract extension in December 2023: A potential All-Star and World Series starter who couldn't be counted on to stay healthy.

In Glasnow's first two seasons in Los Angeles, he made 40 regular season starts, going 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA. He also finished the 2024 season on the injured list, and did not pitch in the postseason, because of an elbow injury.

Shoulder inflammation then knocked him out for more than two months in 2025.

Encouragingly, Glasnow did not miss a start through his first seven turns through the rotation in 2026. He averaged more than 6.1 innings per start until back spasms forced him to leave after one inning of the Dodgers' May 6 game in Houston.

In an unfortunate case of history repeating itself, Glasnow hasn't been seen or heard from since.

That won't change anytime soon, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters this weekend.

“He’s still not playing catch. It’s just the back spasms,” Roberts said (via the Southern California News Group). “Obviously with the back, he’s been limited. He wants to get cranking again but the doctors just aren’t allowing it and the body is not allowing for it right now.”

The Dodgers' rotation has gotten by without Glasnow so far.

Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan, and Roki Sasaki haven't missed a turn. When Blake Snell was sidelined by bone spurs in his elbow, the Dodgers traded for Toronto Blue Jays castoff Eric Lauer. The left-hander has allowed three runs in his first two games as a Dodger, both wins.

Dodger starting pitchers have a 2.89 ERA in Glasnow's absence, second in MLB to the Milwaukee Brewers over the same span.

Lauer, who had a 6.69 ERA before he was cut by the Blue Jays, probably won't maintain his current pace. The Dodgers could use Glasnow back sooner rather than later, but they have other options if his injury is prolonged beyond the All-Star break.

Snell is playing catch. River Ryan is tearing up Triple-A. More than that, the standings present no sense of urgency for Glasnow.

The Dodgers enter the new week with a 42-24 record — 7.5 games ahead of the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.

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