Glasnow went on the injured list with lower back tightness after his start on July 5. He faced hitters in a simulated game Friday, throwing approximately 60 pitches in three innings.
LOS ANGELES — Right-hander Tyler Glasnow is on track to rejoin the Dodgers’ starting rotation on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants.
Glasnow threw approximately 60 pitches over three simulated innings on Friday afternoon, facing hitters including James Outman, Jason Heyward and Gavin Lux.
Glasnow was placed on the injured list after his July 5 start against the Milwaukee Brewers with lower back tightness and is eligible to return as soon as Sunday.
“It was just, like, ‘Tall Guy Back’ back,” he said. “You feel a little twinge and with the break coming up they thought it was a good time (to shut him down).”
Glasnow said the back issue cleared up in a few days.
It was a convenient way for the Dodgers to curb his workload. Glasnow has already thrown 109 innings this season, only the third time in nine major-league seasons he has thrown more than 90 innings and just 11 short of matching his career-high (set last season).
“Probably. It can’t hurt,” Glasnow said when asked if the down time might help. “I was feeling good. I was confident either way that I was going to be able to throw a lot of innings. But it’s definitely helpful.
“I don’t know. I’m just glad it’s feeling better.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there is no “predetermined” limit on Glasnow’s workload in the second half but wouldn’t rule out another “shutdown” at some point.
“I don’t think that there’s one answer so the predetermined, ‘You’re going to throw three innings or four innings or 75 pitches’ – when he takes the mound, we’re expecting to win,” Roberts said. “For me just managing him on each start and if there’s a conversation that needs to be had or if I hear something different, I’ll adjust. But for me, I’m going to manage him, once he’s active, like any other pitcher.”
Out since June 16 with a fractured left hand, Mookie Betts was on the field before Friday’s game, taking ground balls and playing catch without restrictions. It was the first time Betts was cleared to catch with his left hand without it being restricted to soft ground balls.
But Betts doesn’t want you to think that means he’s close to returning.
“It was just like routine grounders. Not taking them off the bat yet,” he said. “But I can’t squeeze anything. Like on the backhand, I can’t really squeeze it or nothing.
“I only have like 40%, 50% strength in my hand. I’ve got to get the strength up before I do (anything that involves holding a bat).”
Betts said he is scheduled for his weekly examination Saturday. The weekly scans have shown the bone is healing – but is not fully healed yet, something that Betts said the doctors have told him “takes six to eight weeks – then you’ve got to layer on all the rehabbing. There’s a lot of layers to it.”
“They said everything is on track,” Betts said. “It’s just something you don’t want to rush and then you start making bad habits in your swing – then it’s good that you came back but you’re doing more harm than good. I just want to make sure I’m ready to go.”
Roberts said Betts has to have 85% of his grip strength back before he can start swinging a bat.
“Physically, he looks good,” Roberts said.
Left-hander Clayton Kershaw threw 67 pitches in four innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City in his third rehab start (his second with OKC). Kershaw allowed two runs in the first inning on three singles and a stolen base and gave up a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Kershaw gave up six hits in all, didn’t walk a batter and struck out two. The three-time Cy Young Award winner’s next start could be with the Dodgers.
“It’s a big one,” Roberts said of the rehab start potentially being Kershaw’s final test before rejoining the Dodgers. “If it goes well, there’s a real conversation that he can join us for his next turn.”
Heyward was among the hitters who faced Glasnow on Friday afternoon and Roberts said the outfielder could be activated from the IL in “the next few days.” Heyward suffered a bone bruise in his left knee on July 4.
Right-hander Brusdar Graterol has started a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment with two appearances for the Dodgers’ team in the Arizona Complex League over the past week. He is scheduled to join OKC on Sunday, Roberts said. Graterol has been out all season with a shoulder injury.
Right-hander Ryan Brasier is with the Dodgers in Los Angeles and could start a rehab assignment soon. Brasier has been out since April with a strained calf muscle.
Third baseman Max Muncy has started swinging against soft toss again. Muncy has been out since mid-May with a strained oblique muscle and has had multiple setbacks after starting to swing a bat.
Right-hander Bobby Miller is scheduled to start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. Miller was demoted before the All-Star break after posting an 8.07 ERA in seven starts with the Dodgers. How many starts he might make with OKC before rejoining the Dodgers’ rotation is “to be determined,” Roberts said. “A lot of it is on him and how he feels and how he’s performing.”
Red Sox (RHP Brayan Bello, 10-5, 5.32 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Justin Wrobleski, 0-1, 6.30 ERA), Saturday, 4:15 p.m., FOX (Ch. 11), 570 AM
