LOS ANGELES — Tyler Glasnow wants you to know that reports of his demise are greatly exaggerated.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Monday that Glasnow’s throwing progression had been “paused” after the right-hander experienced “some discomfort” following a bullpen session on May 23.
Glasnow has been on the injured list with shoulder inflammation and clarified that he simply felt some tightness in his back following his first time throwing off a mound since April.
“I feel totally fine. Totally normal,” he said at his locker on Tuesday. “My shoulder is totally fine. That issue, I haven’t felt since I started throwing. It was fine. It really was just, I think, a precaution. I felt totally fine, I’m good to go.”
Glasnow, 31, said he resumed throwing after a couple of days and expects to throw another bullpen session later this week.
“If this was the season, no one would know about it,” said Glasnow, emphasizing that this back tightness was “nothing like” the back issue that landed him on the IL at midseason last year.
“I think it’s just precaution. We’re thinking about the playoffs. It is what it is. … I just kinda have to play the long-term card, and I’m just gonna have to take it slow.”
Glasnow, one of five Dodgers starting pitchers who are on the injured list, said he hasn’t thought about a target date to return to the rotation, saying he is taking it “step by step.”
“I’m just taking it bullpen by bullpen and see what it is,” he said. “Hopefully I can face hitters soon. I’m trying to get out there. I want to be healthy, I want to be in the playoffs. … Coming back as soon as I can in a healthy way to help the team in the playoffs is my goal.”
After missing the second half of last season and all of the Dodgers’ postseason run, Glasnow made an effort to analyze his mechanics and change his delivery to put less stress on his elbow, which has been the primary source of his checkered injury history. Those changes have created other problems, he believes.
“I think a lot of it is trusting my natural throw and just making sure all the staples of a healthy delivery are in there,” he said Tuesday. “I think any time I get out of whack or I’m not stable, I put myself at risk. I think just working with them (the pitching coaches and performance staff) to try to maybe not make such drastic changes but just get out to where we talk about just be athletic and go pitch.
“I think it was kinda tough to make such drastic changes where – it was a change for health, but then at the same time, performance goes down because it’s such a foreign feeling. I’m trying to meld a best-of-both worlds situation. But like right now, I feel really, really good, mechanics-wise. Just be athletic and throw. It’s enabled me to just be myself more now. As I get more on the mound and keep going I’ll kinda know more.”
REVOLVING DOOR
In the latest episode of DFA shopping, the Dodgers signed right-hander Jose Ureña. Ureña, 33, was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, cleared waivers and became a free agent.
The Dodgers will be the ninth major league team for Ureña, whose best year might have been 2024 with the Texas Rangers when he went 5-8 with a 3.80 ERA over 33 appearances (nine starts). This season, he made one appearance for the New York Mets, was released and picked up by the Blue Jays. He made six appearances for the Jays, including two starts, and posted a 3.65 ERA over 12⅓ innings.
In order to make room for Ureña on the active roster, right-hander Will Klein was sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Klein was acquired in a minor-league trade on Monday. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, catcher Chuckie Robinson was designated for assignment. Robinson was claimed on waivers from the Angels on Saturday.
MAY WORK
Sixty innings pitched is not a significant milestone – except for Dustin May. With his six-inning start on Tuesday, the Dodgers right-hander passed the 60-inning mark for the first time in his career. May has thrown 61⅔ innings this season, eclipsing his previous career-high of 56 in 2020.
“The biggest thing for me at this point, I’m healthy. I feel healthy. There’s no pain. My first time in June, so that’s exciting,” said May, who admitted he was aware of setting a personal record.
May had never thrown a major-league pitch in the month of June before his start Monday. He has pitched in July just once (in 2020). HIs seasons have been derailed by two major elbow surgeries and a life-threatening esophageal surgery last July.
“I feel good. I’ve been recovering very well,” he said. “I’ve been doing my routine in between starts. What I did before, it’s kind of the same as it’s always been. It’s just, I’m not in pain. That’s kind of where I’m at.”
ALSO
Shohei Ohtani was named the National League Player of the Month for May. Ohtani hit .309 in May with 15 home runs, 27 RBIs and an 1.180 OPS.
UP NEXT
Mets (RHP Griffin Canning, 5-2, 3.23 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Tony Gonsolin, 3-1, 5.23 ERA), Wednesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM