Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow stated he is not currently dealing with an injury, despite a rough outing against the Miami Marlins on Saturday. Glasnow allowed four runs in just over four innings, leading to questions about his recent performance and mechanics as the team prepares for the postseason.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated that Glasnow "didn't feel great coming into the game as far as kind of overall body" and "was fighting himself all game" in an effort to find his rhythm. Roberts described the pitcher as a "big-bodied guy" whose mechanics can be difficult to sync when out of sync. Glasnow, who recently returned from a three-month absence due to back spasms, acknowledged that "every pitch was kind of off" during his 91-pitch performance.
Despite the setback, Roberts clarified that there is no immediate health concern and does not believe the issue is "longer term at all." Glasnow echoed this sentiment, attributing the performance to a normal part of a season where adjustments are sometimes necessary. "I'm just kind of hitting that right now," Glasnow said. "When something like that happens, you kind of figure out what it is, catch it and get going. So I just have to figure it out again and hopefully next start will be good."
Glasnow's outing followed a pattern of inconsistency since his return from the injured list. After strong starts upon his return, he stumbled in his previous start against the Washington Nationals and had his shortest outing of the season against the Marlins. He struggled early against Miami, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and giving up a two-run home run in the second.
Glasnow did show signs of improvement in the third and fourth innings, retiring six consecutive batters. However, his start ended in the fifth inning after issuing back-to-back walks. "Felt pretty good," Glasnow said, "then it started to feel a little weird again."
These recent struggles are notable given Glasnow's projected role as the Dodgers' No. 4 starter in the playoffs, with the possibility of being used in a bullpen role as he was the previous postseason. In last year's playoffs, Glasnow posted a 1.69 ERA in six outings after making mechanical adjustments late in the season.
Roberts expressed optimism that Saturday's performance was an outlier and that Glasnow would regain his previous form in his upcoming starts. "I think that when we get back home, he'll make his next start, and I do think that he'll continue to get back on that run he was on," Roberts said.