Dodgers offer most predictable update ever on Tyler Glasnow’s injury timeline

Everything about Tyler Glasnow's tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers has been predictable. He's been the top-of-the-rotation pitcher that he was with the Tampa Bay Rays, and in the same breath, has been the same oft-injured pitcher he was in Tampa Bay. It's why no one seemed to buy the idea that Glasnow was pulled from his start against the Houston Astros on May 6 for precautionary reasons.

Naturally, Glasnow landed on the IL, and it's a script that Dodgers fans know all too well. A script that includes contradicting updates from Dave Roberts before Glasnow eventually makes his way back to the rotation, though rarely as early as LA initially anticipates.

Word first broke on Thursday that Glasnow had resumed his throwing program and could be back soon enough that he wouldn't need a minor-league rehab assignment. Things are never that straightforward when it comes to the Dodgers' handling of injuries, especially when Glasnow is involved.

To that end, when Roberts met with reporters, he was quick to push back the 32-year-old's timeline. Roberts told reporters that he wasn't sure when Glasnow would advance to throwing off a pitching mound, and that his stay on the IL would be more than the minimal stint.

Classic Tyler Glasnow playbook

Glasnow made 22 starts in his first season with the Dodgers, followed by 18 starts last season. Sure, there have been injuries, but the Dodgers have also been extremely cautious with how they've deployed the veteran. The goal has always been to ensure that Glasnow is ready for October, and that often means he goes chunks of the regular season without making a start.

With Blake Snell back in the rotation, it's a strategy that shouldn't be a major setback for the Dodgers this season. The Dodgers have operated with a six-man rotation for most of the year, and Snell's return allows them to remain on that path.

The hiccup is that it gives the Dodgers more ammunition to keep Roki Sasaki in the rotation. There's been a large enough sample size to suggest that if Andrew Friedman and Co. want to not lose sight of Sasaki's development as a starting pitcher, it should be done in the minors. Instead, the Dodgers have been adamant that the development continues with Sasaki in the big-league rotation.

As long as Glasnow remains sidelined, the Dodgers are going to keep breathing life into their current plan for Sasaki.

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