LOS ANGELES — Tyler Glasnow won’t be the one riding over the hill to save the Dodgers’ depleted starting rotation any time soon.
According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the oft-injured right-hander felt “some discomfort” after throwing a bullpen session 10 days ago and has backed down to simply playing catch on flat ground. Glasnow has been on the injured list since coming out of his start on April 27 after one inning. Glasnow is officially on the IL with shoulder inflammation but missed time last year with back and elbow issues and left another start in April with leg cramps.
Glasnow threw his bullpen session while the Dodgers were on the road in New York, but Roberts said the reports he got were that Glasnow “said he felt great afterwards. Don’t know what that means with velocity. But I do know he was getting after it pretty good.”
Apparently the good feelings did not last.
“He just had some discomfort, and we just kind of, at that moment in time, pushed ‘Pause,’” Roberts said Monday.
“I don’t think it was the shoulder. I think it was just overall body just not responding.”
Roberts said it’s unclear when Glasnow might try throwing off a mound again.
“I say this speaking for him – I know he’s just as frustrated as we all are, as far as the process over the last … since we’ve had him,” Roberts said. “It just hasn’t been linear as far as getting him back, and he wants to get back and help. Threw his one ’pen and then body didn’t respond, and so we’re trying to figure out when we can ramp him back up.
“He’s very anxious to get back out here and help his team.”
By stepping onto a mound for a bullpen session 10 days ago, Glasnow appeared to be ahead of Blake Snell on the road back. Snell now takes the lead among the Dodgers’ injured starting pitchers (Roki Sasaki has just started playing catch). Snell could throw off a mound this weekend or early next week, Roberts said.
Snell has been out since April 3 with shoulder inflammation that also flared up when he made his first attempt at starting a throwing program.
“It has gone slower than we all initially expected,” Roberts said of Snell. “But that’s where, you start picking up a baseball and you don’t feel good, and then we had to push ‘Pause’ from the initial injury or whatever. So, yeah, it’s been slower. But I think that right now, Blake, in talking to him the last few days, he’s in a really good spot physically and mentally.”
The Dodgers could get two relief pitchers back from the IL in the next week.
Right-hander Michael Kopech completed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday and will join the Dodgers in Los Angeles this week to be evaluated for potential activation from the 60-day IL.
Kopech’s results in nine appearances with OKC produced a 15.63 ERA. He walked 11 in 6⅓ innings and Roberts acknowledged that Kopech’s command “hasn’t been good.”
“But I think that he’s not really a command guy. He’s stuff over command,” Roberts said, adding that the Dodgers are “confident” Kopech is healthy.
Kirby Yates threw his second bullpen session on Monday and is expected to throw to hitters on Wednesday. He could return from his hamstring injury this weekend, Roberts said.
NEW ARMS
The revolving door at the back of the Dodgers’ roster continues to spin.
The Dodgers added two new relievers on Monday, promoting right-hander Ryan Loutos from Triple-A and acquiring right-hander Will Klein in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. Triple-A left-hander Joe Jacques was sent to the Mariners.
Right-hander Noah Davis was sent back to OKC and right-hander Chris Stratton was designated for assignment. Stratton, 34, was previously DFA’d and released by the Kansas City Royals then signed by the Dodgers a week ago. He made two appearances with the Dodgers and allowed two runs in three innings.
Klein, 25, moved through the Royals’, Athletics’ and Mariners’ systems over the past two seasons. He was selected for the All-Star Futures Game in 2023 and made eight major-league appearances with an 11.05 ERA last year. This year, he has spent the season in Triple-A, going 1-1 with a 7.17 ERA in 22 appearances before he was designated for assignment over the weekend.
BETTER BETTS
Mookie Betts took ground balls, ran the bases and took batting practice with the team before Monday’s game. He said his injured toe felt fine throughout the drills.
“It was a good day for Mookie,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers manager said Betts would be available to potentially pinch-hit in Monday’s game and could be back in the lineup on Tuesday as long as he recovers well from Monday’s increased activity.
TEN YEARS LATER
Ten years after they made him the 35th pick in the draft, right-hander Kyle Funkhouser finally made his debut in the Dodgers’ system, pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma City over the weekend.
Funkhouser did not sign with the Dodgers in 2015, turning down a $1.75 million signing bonus and choosing to go back to Louisville and re-enter the draft. A year later, the Detroit Tigers took him in the fourth round.
Funkhouser, now 31, made it to the majors and pitched for the Tigers in 2020 and 2021. Shoulder surgery derailed his career and he made just five appearances in Double-A in 2023 then didn’t pitch at all in 2024. He had a 1-1 record and 4.50 ERA in seven appearances in the Mexican League before the Dodgers signed him and sent him to OKC last week.
UP NEXT
Mets (RHP Tylor Megill, 4-4, 3.52 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 0-0, 4.91 ERA), Tuesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
