Blake Snell missed all of April due to a left shoulder issue.
Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Just as the Los Angeles Dodgers were close to having their starting rotation at full strength, they’ve encountered another hurdle. The team placed right-hander Tyler Glasnow on the 15-day injured list due to back spasms prior to Friday’s matchup against the Atlanta Braves. This move advanced the timeline for left-hander Blake Snell, who will skip his final scheduled rehab outing and instead make his season debut for the Dodgers on Saturday.
The organization attempted to minimize the severity of Glasnow’s condition before Friday’s game. Glasnow, who has dealt with intermittent back spasms throughout his career, exited Wednesday’s start in Houston while warming up before the second inning. The Dodgers were optimistic he could avoid the IL, especially after imaging showed no structural damage. However, the club determined Glasnow would miss too much time during recovery and made the roster move. Paul Gervase was added to the 26-man roster in a corresponding transaction.
Snell, who is recovering from shoulder inflammation that traces back to spring training, was originally scheduled to throw five innings on Saturday for Low-A Ontario. The Dodgers had planned to activate him ahead of their upcoming road series against the Los Angeles Angels. Instead, Snell will start for Los Angeles, likely with a pitch limit around 75.
Roki Sasaki, who was originally set to start Saturday, will pitch Monday against the San Francisco Giants. Justin Wrobleski remains scheduled for Sunday’s start.
Glasnow’s injury is a frustrating setback for one of baseball’s top starting rotations. Through seven starts this season, he recorded a 2.72 ERA with a 33% strikeout rate over 39 2/3 innings. The hope is he will miss only the minimum time, though that depends on when he can resume throwing.
The Dodgers now have at least two more weeks to decide on the futures of Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan. Wrobleski has impressed as the team’s sixth starter, posting a 5-0 record with a microscopic 0.56 ERA in the rotation, though the team would like to see him generate more swing-and-miss. His 12.5% whiff rate is the lowest among qualified starting pitchers in the majors, and he has struck out just 15 batters through 36 innings this season. Still, given Wrobleski’s overall efficiency, it would be tough to justify removing him from the rotation.
Velocity concerns have nagged Sheehan in the early weeks of the season, leading to a 5.23 ERA over six starts. Sheehan has been able to sit at 94-95 mph with his fastball in the first innings but has struggled to maintain it throughout each outing. This issue has puzzled both the player and the club, but with Glasnow sidelined for the near future, Sheehan has time to continue making adjustments.
The Dodgers have no intention of removing Sasaki from the starting rotation and will continue to prioritize his development as a long-term starter.
