It’s been a bruising season for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching staff — both figuratively and literally. Injuries have sidelined major arms, derailed rotation plans, and forced the team into patchwork solutions since Opening Day. But now, for the first time in months, the Dodgers may be seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
Two of their top starters, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, have combined for just seven starts this year and are currently on the 60-day injured list with shoulder inflammation. Yet according to manager Dave Roberts, both are trending in the right direction — and fast.
“Tyler threw today,” Roberts said Tuesday. “Really encouraged with his bullpen in Los Angeles. Blake threw today here [in San Diego]. Really encouraging. So, yeah, you can start to see us get to the other side. It’s stuff to look forward to.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Provide Injury Updates On Blake Snell And Tyler Glasnow
Pitching coach Mark Prior echoed that optimism, particularly after watching Snell throw in person. “Seeing Blake today live in front of us was great,” Prior said. “His arm looks, for the first time probably all year, free and easy.” He added that Glasnow’s velocity and form have also impressed the staff in recent sessions.
“Snell’s going to throw another bullpen for sure and we’re going to kind of wrap our head around on Glas and try to figure out maybe what the next seven to 10 days look like for him, too and try to see what that progression looks like.”
Glasnow, who dealt with elbow tendinitis last season, had been transferred to the 60-day IL in late May, but his return to the mound could come sooner than expected. “My shoulder’s totally fine,” Glasnow told reporters. “That issue, I haven’t felt since I started throwing. I felt totally fine, I’m good to go.”
Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, has struggled to stay on the field in his first season with the Dodgers. But his reputation for peaking in the second half gives the team hope that, if healthy, he could become a difference-maker when games matter most.
While Los Angeles won’t rush either pitcher back, the intent is clear: health in October is more valuable than forcing innings in June. The team is slow-playing both arms in hopes of preserving them for a potential playoff push.
Beyond Snell and Glasnow, the Dodgers may soon see additional reinforcements. In Triple-A Oklahoma City, right-hander Emmet Sheehan is scheduled for another start this week. If he can stretch to four innings, Roberts said Sheehan could be brought back into the fold at the major league level.
A name to watch is rookie right-hander Ben Casparius, who impressed in his unexpected start for the Dodgers on Wednesday, retiring the top of the Padres’ lineup in order to open the game—including a strikeout of Manny Machado, who nodded in respect. Casparius, typically a long reliever, was tapped to start the rubber match of the series and delivered four strong innings of one-run ball, helping the Dodgers secure a 5-2 win and a crucial series victory. His lone trouble came in the second inning, but he settled in quickly, aided by a 99 mph outfield assist from Andy Pages.
The decision to start Casparius over-scheduled lefty Justin Wrobleski—after conserving bullpen arms in Tuesday’s blowout loss—proved key, and manager Dave Roberts confirmed Casparius will remain in the rotation for now.
For weeks, the Dodgers have been stitching together a rotation with depth arms and bullpen day strategies. That patchwork approach may finally be nearing its end. If Glasnow and Snell continue progressing, and if Sheehan and Sauer prove ready, the Dodgers’ rotation could look significantly different — and far more stable — by July.
With a critical stretch of the season ahead, Los Angeles appears poised to welcome back some long-awaited firepower. The timing couldn’t be better.