LOS ANGELES -- As the Dodgers prepare to get back one key arm in their rotation, they're losing another.
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list with lower back spasms ahead of the Dodgers’ series opener against the Braves on Friday night, hours after news broke that left-hander Blake Snell (left shoulder fatigue) would be activated off the IL to start on Saturday.
Snell was originally scheduled to make one final rehab start with Single-A Ontario on Saturday, but because of the uncertainty surrounding Glasnow's status, the Dodgers opted to activate Snell earlier in order to be able to monitor Glasnow through the end of the weekend. As it turned out, they didn't need that additional time, ultimately placing Glasnow on the IL two hours before first pitch on Friday.
“We talked to Tyler, and we just felt it was the right thing to do. It was smart," manager Dave Roberts said. "Probably could’ve tried to pitch through it. But it’s early, and to be prudent, to be smart, play the game, Tyler was completely on board with that.”
Righty reliever Paul Gervase was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding move. Gervase went 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA and one save in nine appearances for the Comets.
Glasnow departed his last start on Wednesday in Houston after just one inning due to lower back pain. He has had previous back issues, going on the IL with back tightness in 2024 and getting scratched from a start in Baltimore for the same reason last September. In the past, the 6-foot-8 Glasnow has described these recurring pains as "random tall-guy back spasms."
An MRI on Glasnow's back revealed "nothing really significant," Roberts said, and the Dodgers believe he could be activated after a minimum-length stint. Glasnow has had a strong beginning to the season, going 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA in seven starts. He has an extensive injury history in his career, so the team likely wanted to avoid the possibility of him compromising himself by pitching through discomfort and potentially overcompensating for his back.
As Snell got closer to returning from his IL stint, the Dodgers had a roster decision looming. Now that Glasnow has been sidelined, Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski all keep their spots in the rotation, giving the team additional time to decide who stays when there are more than six healthy starters.
Sheehan is coming off a strong 2025 season, but he's dealt with persistent velocity issues through the first month and change. While he's found ways to get results despite his diminished stuff at times, he has been a little inconsistent, posting a 4.79 ERA through seven starts, including 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball against Atlanta in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win on Friday.
Sasaki showed growth in a stint as the Dodgers' postseason closer last year, but his return to the rotation has not brought the same results. He has a 5.97 ERA through six starts, but he seems to be trending in a better direction after unveiling a reworked splitter to go along with his more traditional forkball in his most recent two outings.
Wrobleski made his first appearance of the season in long relief, but since then, he's dominated in his audition to keep a spot in the rotation. He has gone a perfect 5-0 with a 0.56 ERA in five starts, by far the best performance of the three starters on the bubble at the back end of the rotation. But because he has shown he can be just as effective in relief, that versatility could lead the Dodgers to shift him to the 'pen.
With Glasnow sidelined, the Dodgers have at least 15 days -- and about two starts apiece from their three back-end starters -- to make what could be a tough decision.