Tampa Bay Rays get positive update on Tyler Glasnow
By David Hill
It was easy to assume the worst as it came to Tyler Glasnow. The Tampa Bay Rays pitcher had pulled himself from his start on June 14, saying that he felt a tugging in his elbow in his final few pitches. An MRI showed that he had a partially torn UCL and a strained flexor tendon, two injuries that, on their own, signify Tommy John surgery.
Nonetheless, the Rays and Glasnow were hopeful that he could avoid surgery and rehab his injury. That may be more than a pipe dream, as the latest update on his health gives reason for hope.
#Rays Cash said update on Glasnow was relatively encouraging, that he will go about 4 weeks without throwing then start building up. Dr. Meister said irritation in elbow could be caused by bone issue, which also will be treated
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) June 18, 2021
Tampa Bay Rays could get Tyler Glasnow back in 2021 after all
It had seemed as though the Rays would be without Glasnow’s services for quite some time. Had he gone under the knife, the recovery time would likely have sidelined Glasnow for most of the 2022 season as well, a major blow to the Rays pitching staff. Their championship aspirations, both this year and next, would take a severe hit.
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Instead, the Rays may be able to get their ace back in the relatively near future. Even though he would need a rehab assignment to get back to a starter’s workload, Glasnow would essentially be a trade deadline acquisition based on a possible return in the middle of August. He could make a major impact down the stretch, provided that nothing further goes wrong with his elbow.
Even with the Rays impressive pitching pipeline, Glasnow is not the type of arm that is easy to replace. He had bounced back from a lackluster 2020 season to post a 2.66 ERA and a 0.932 WHiP in his 88 innings, striking out 123 batters with 27 walks. He had become the Rays new ace, taking the mantle after the 2020 rotation had several departures.
But the Rays may not need to find a long term replacement after all. It is possible that will still end up being the case if something goes wrong during his rehab, or if that period of rest does not help alleviate the problem. However, the latest health update is encouraging and has to give the Rays hope.
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The Tampa Bay Rays received good news in regards to Tyler Glasnow’s elbow. He may not need to go under the knife after all.