Tyler Glasnow clarifies Dodgers' postseason rotation outlook with gem vs. Tigers

Tyler Glasnow may be destined to never throw a fully healthy season in his career, but he usually manages to show up at just the right time for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Last year, he spent a little over two months on the IL with shoulder inflammation, but went on to pitch 21⅓ innings for a 1.69 ERA as part of the Dodgers' untouchable postseason rotation. This year, despite initial uncertainty of his place on the postseason roster, he'll probably end up doing it again.

In the Dodgers' rubber match on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers, Glasnow threw seven innings of one-run baseball, allowing just two hits and a walk. He was efficient, too, needing just 85 pitches to get through the afternoon. LA's offense finally woke up a little from what's been a long slumber, scoring more than five innings for the first time since August 19 against the Colorado Rockies.

This, combined with new fears that Shohei Ohtani may not pitch again this season, makes Glasnow a lock for the postseason rotation — and the Dodgers might even be better off for it.

Tyler Glasnow looks more than ready for the postseason after latest Dodgers outing

The Dodgers have yet to rule out a return to the mound entirely, but he was supposed to open Sunday's game before Dave Roberts admitted he was "not 100%," as he's still experiencing discomfort in his knee, biceps, and "overall body."

As always, the Dodgers are being as cautious as possible with Ohtani, and Glasnow's start confirmed that they have no reason to rush him. There was some concern about how long it took Glasnow to bounce back from lower back spasms, but it took just two starts for him to get back to the top of his game.

He's arguably underrated — at least, as underrated as a multi-millionaire Dodger can be. He was viewed as the weakest link in year's postseason rotation, made up of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Ohtani, and Glasnow, but he outperformed Ohtani and even stepped into the closer role in Game 6 of the World Series, after Roki Sasaki put LA into a precarious position in the ninth.

The Dodgers will be fine without Ohtani pitching in October; as much as they would like him to do so and fans would like to see him on the mound. Glasnow will probably end up pitching less than 80 innings during this regular season, but it doesn't matter as long as he's healthy enough to help in October.

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