Tyler Glasnow Injury History: Every ailment the Dodgers starting pitcher has faced

Tyler Glasnow has been one of the most dominant pitchers in recent history. Since 2020, he ranks second among starters in batting average against, WHIP, strikeout rate, and K/9. His arsenal ties him for fifth in Pitching+ over the past five seasons.

But future generations may very well overlook Glasnow because of his lack of tangible achievements. He has never received a Cy Young vote and has only been selected to one All-Star team. The righty’s injury history has prevented him from earning accolades and creating a legacy in baseball.

Years before Glasnow stepped foot on a big-league mound, he found himself on the IL. Just 20 years old, Glasnow missed the first month of the 2014 season due to a back injury. He shook off the inauspicious start to produce a 1.74 ERA with High-A Bradenton, and he was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Year.

Tyler Glasnow’s extensive injury history overshadows his pitching dominance.

Glasnow faltered again early in 2015, when he missed a month after spraining his right ankle. He had chronic trouble with the ankle until he had surgery in 2022. Regardless, the right-hander rose through the minor leagues and was ranked by MLB.com as the No. 8 prospect in baseball when he made his debut in 2016. In his PNC Park debut, Glasnow experienced shoulder discomfort and spent much of the late summer rehabbing.

Over 2017 and ‘18, Glasnow stayed relatively healthy and made a successful transition from the rotation to the bullpen. He landed with the Rays in a trade deadline deal for Chris Archer and went back to starting. In May 2019, though, Glasnow strained his right forearm. The injury lingered long enough for him to go on the 60-day IL.

Since 2019, Glasnow has completed 100 innings in a single season just once. An elbow sprain in June 2021 led to Tommy John surgery that cost him much of the 2022 season. (He had the ankle surgery around the same time.) He missed Opening Day due to an oblique strain in 2023.

Despite the laundry list of injuries, the Dodgers took a risk by extending Glasnow after acquiring him via trade prior to the 2024 season. The rewards seemed to outweigh the risks despite Glasnow hitting the IL with lower back tightness in July. In fact, the right-hander made his first All-Star Game and seemed to be in great form for his hometown club. 

Unfortunately, Glasnow’s luck never seems to last. In mid-August, he went on the IL due to tendonitis in his elbow, and he missed the remainder of the season — including the Dodgers’ World Series run. The 2025 season has already been marred by injury. Glasnow experienced leg cramps that forced him from a start early and then he went down with shoulder inflammation.

At this point, it’s safe to say that Glasnow is well on his way to being remembered for his thwarted promise more than his intermittent dominance. For fans of the Dodgers and baseball in general, it’s a sad state of affairs.