The Tampa Bay Rays activated Tyler Glasnow from the injured list on Saturday, clearing the way for him to make his season debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Glasnow had been sidelined by a strained oblique since early in the spring. In a corresponding move, the Rays optioned reliever Cooper Criswell to Triple-A.
Glasnow, 29, has been spare in recent years. His next start will mark his 17th since the beginning of the 2021 season. In the interim, he's dealt with both the oblique issue and the Tommy John surgery he underwent in August 2021. That operation wiped out most of his 2022 campaign, limiting him to just two appearances late in the year.
When Glasnow has been healthy, he's been one of the best pitchers in the majors. In those aforementioned 16 starts, he's compiled a 2.57 ERA (157 ERA+) and a 4.59 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 94 innings. His contributions have been worth an estimated 2.8 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference's calculations.
The Rays, who entered Saturday with the best record in Major League Baseball, have been struck by a number of injuries to their rotation. Jeffrey Springs, an early frontrunner for the American League Cy Young Award, had to undergo his own Tommy John surgery in April, while Drew Rasmussen recently went down for at least two months because of a strained flexor. That's without including youngster Shane Baz, who seems unlikely to pitch this season following elbow surgery last September. Getting Glasnow back, then, is welcomed in more ways than one.
The Rays will continue their series against the Dodgers on Saturday with an expected matchup between Glasnow and veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw. The Rays won the series opener on Friday night by a 9-3 final behind big performances by Yandy Díaz and Christian Bethancourt, among others.
