PHOENIX – The Dodgers did not acquire Tyler Glasnow to be an innings-eater from March through September.
They traded for him and signed him to a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension because they believe he can front a successful starting rotation in the postseason. Whether Glasnow is healthy or not this October could change the team’s outlook significantly.
“That’s why I came here,” Glasnow said, acknowledging that. “I want to pitch well in the postseason. That’s like my only goal playing baseball. The progression of it, obviously it’s like getting to the big leagues, signing a contract, the security of that and then it just becomes winning. It’s always kind of about winning, but that number one priority is just the World Series. That’s like all I think about now.”
There’s one problem with that – and it is a familiar one with Glasnow. Even though he has pitched a career-high 134 innings this season, the oft-injured Glasnow has not been healthy much recently. He has made just five starts since the end of June due to a back injury that sent him to the Injured List briefly in July and now elbow tendinitis which sent him back.
Glasnow initially characterized the elbow discomfort as “nothing super concerning to me” when it flared up. But it has become super concerning to the Dodgers as time passed and Glasnow didn’t start a throwing program until this Friday.
“I just think it was like tightness,” Glasnow said of delaying his throwing sessions.
“When you don’t throw for a while, everything kind of goes back to, like, a normal arm. Then you start to throw again, and it’s like alright, I used to have to have a normal wear and tear of the season, kind of like good inflammation I guess, it keeps everything stable. That’s gone, so it feels a little different. But then as you ramp up, it’s like alright, this feels normal again.”
Glasnow isn’t sure how long it will take for him to get back on a mound but he said he is “confident” that he will be ready soon enough to prepare for the postseason.
“I don’t have a ton of time but I think it will be enough time,” he said. “I want a couple more games and then just be ready for the postseason.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said “best-case scenario” is three starts before the end of the regular season for Glasnow. But the tall right-hander has to start throwing off a mound before “It will be a little more tangible for me,” Roberts said.
Teams were able to expand rosters by two players on Sunday – one pitcher and one position player.
The Dodgers added left-hander Justin Wrobleski and outfielder Andy Pages. Wrobleski started Sunday against the Diamondbacks but Roberts said he isn’t sure how much playing time Pages will get.
“What role we use him, that remains to be seen,” he said. “But obviously Andy has been a big part of what we’ve done this year.”
Pages has started 92 games in the outfield for the Dodgers this season and batted .246 with nine home runs before being sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City when Max Muncy came off the Injured List two weeks ago.
Additionally, the Dodgers sent right-hander Ben Casparius back to OKC and recalled right-hander Michael Grove. Casparius pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning Saturday night in his major-league debut and earned the win.
Reliever Brusdar Graterol will join OKC for a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment beginning on Tuesday. Graterol could make as few as two appearances for OKC before there is “a conversation” about activating him from the IL as soon as Friday, according to Roberts.
Dodgers (RHP Jack Flaherty, 10-6, 3.07 ERA) at Diamondbacks (LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 2-0, 5.06), Monday, 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
