With Glasnow out, the spotlight and all that pressure are now shifting to the other pitchers. It looks like Tyler Glasnow‘s return to the mound is slipping further out of reach. Yesterday, there was still some optimism about his comeback, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on Saturday that it’s now looking highly unlikely! Well, you must have heard just how fast the night changes by One Direction. That happened in real life for the pitcher as he was ready to come back to the mound with his simulated game scheduled at Truist Park this Friday. But something else was written in destiny.

The 32-year-old pitcher couldn’t even complete his warmup, which was supposed to be the final hurdle before rejoining the Dodgers’ rotation. It ended abruptly after just 25 throws. But why? Well, elbow discomfort cut his session short, and instead of taking the mound, he headed straight to the clubhouse, leaving the blue crew and the fans anxious. The worst part? The timing doesn’t set right for the Dodgers, who are in a nail-biting race against the clock. And losing their ace pitcher now is a tough pill to swallow, especially given what they had in mind while signing him.

What were Dodger’s expectations with Tyler Glasnow?

See, the Dodgers acquired Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays over the offseason, with high expectations obviously looking at his gameplay. They also gave up two promising young players in starter Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca and subsequently signed Glasnow to a five-year, $136.6 million extension. At first, the investment looked fruitful—he posted a solid 3.49 ERA in his first 134 innings, racking up 168 strikeouts and just 35 walks. But, unfortunately, his arm could only handle it for a little over four months before running into trouble.

And now, with Glasnow off the field, and no guarantee for how long, As per ESPN Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts is clearly upset. “It’s a big blow,” Roberts said, reflecting on what Glasnow meant to the team and the expectations surrounding him. “Looking at what he’s done for us and what we hoped he’d continue to do, it’s tough.” So, what went wrong during the warmup when everything seemed fine before? Dave Roberts is worried that Glasnow might have re-injured his ulnar collateral ligament!

Which, by the way, was something he had repaired with Tommy John surgery in August 2021. Ouch, right? It’s like his old issues are back to haunt him at the worst time possible. But despite all of this, one thing to note is that Dave Roberts is keeping his head in the game. Even though this setback stings, he’s not letting it drag them down. Instead, he’s focusing on moving forward. But what will the team do now that their ace is injured? Well, with Tyler Glasnow out, the spotlight and all that pressure are now shifting to the other pitchers.

What can be Dodger’s next steps?

At this point, they can only rely on newcomer Jack Flaherty to start his first postseason game. And secondly, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was sidelined for nearly three months with a shoulder injury. But his comeback offers a glimmer of hope. The young Japanese talent had an encouraging return last week and seems poised to make a solid contribution moving forward. So fingers crossed! However, beyond Yamamoto and Flaherty, the Dodgers’ rotation is clouded with uncertainty- especially given that several other pitchers are also unavailable.

Clayton Kershaw is trying to do his best while dealing with a bone spur in his left big toe, but there’s still no “return” date on the calendar. Gavin Stone is on the sidelines with shoulder inflammation and hasn’t even gotten back to throwing yet. Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller, the other key pieces, have been having their share of struggles. And, as if things weren’t complicated enough, Shohei Ohtani is on a pitching hiatus. It’s like a game of musical chairs with the Dodgers’ rotation!

And now, with their ace not likely coming back, the blue crew has to figure out a way to make the best out of the players they have in the lineup! And they have to do it fast. Why? Because the clock is ticking. As the playoffs are approaching closer, other teams are also approaching closer to the Dodgers on the leaderboard. The San Diego Padres, who slashed their payroll by $90 million, are now trailing the blue crew, who splurged $1.4 billion last winter—by just 3.5 games.

So, the big question is whether the Dodgers will be able to hold onto their lead or not! What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments.