Tampa Bay Rays ace Tyler Glasnow, who left his start on Monday night because of elbow inflammation, has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and a flexor tendon strain, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Glasnow will attempt to rehab the injury without undergoing Tommy John surgery, though it's unclear what his chances are of avoiding that fate.
Glasnow, 27, had pitched fantastically over his first 14 starts this season. He'd compiled a 2.66 ERA (145 ERA+) and a 4.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 88 innings. Although the Rays tend to steer away from lengthy starts, they'd recently allowed him to work at least seven innings in four of his last five outings entering Monday's contest against the Chicago White Sox.
In the short term, the Rays will likely attempt to weather Glasnow's absence by recalling right-hander Luis Patiño from Triple-A Durham. The Rays have a few other starting pitchers at that level who can pitch in as needed, including Brent Honeywell Jr. and Drew Strotman. (The recently promoted Shane Baz, acquired alongside Glasnow from the Pittsburgh Pirates, seems unlikely to get the call anytime soon.)
The Rays could also dip into the trade market over the coming weeks in an attempt to counterbalance the loss of Glasnow. The Rays have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, and could theoretically be a player for any and every starting pitcher on the market, provided they're willing to take on salary.
The Rays entered Tuesday with a 43-24 record on the season, good for first place and a three-game lead in the American League East. The Rays will continue their series with the White Sox on Tuesday before jetting to the west coast for four games against the Seattle Mariners this weekend.
