ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The way Tyler Glasnow threw during the first three innings Saturday against the Dodgers, one would have thought he was in the Rays’ rotation all along.
The 6-foot-8 righthander, making his season debut after recovering from a left oblique strain sustained in spring training, allowed only a solo homer to Max Muncy in the second inning while effectively displaying his arsenal of pitches, including a four-seam fastball that consistently registered 96-97 mph.
After throwing 17, 16, and 17 pitches in the first three innings, Glasnow threw 28 pitches in the fourth when he allowed two runs to fall behind 3-0. After getting Mookie Betts to fly out deep to left center leading off the fifth, his day was over. Glasnow threw 83 pitches, struck out eight and walked one in 4 1/3 innings.
In the news: Rays’ Shane McClanahan Dazzles In MLB-Leading Eighth Win
“I felt good and threw most of my pitches for strikes,” he said, following his first outing at Tropicana Field since June 8, 2021, against Washington. “Wasn’t perfect, but definitely coming back for my first (appearance of 2023), I am happy with it.”
After falling behind 3-0, Glasnow’s teammates took him off the hook by scoring twice in the fourth and twice in the fifth off Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers scored two runs in the seventh and added a run in the eighth. The Rays threatened in the ninth, but came up short, 6-5, in the team’s 4,000th game.
After allowing Muncy’s homer, Glasnow struck out the next three batters. There was an eight-batter stretch over the course first three innings in which he fanned six.
In the news: Tom Brady Ranks 5th Brainiest QB, Pittsburgh Coach Mike Tomlin Ranks 1st In All Of NFL
“Happy to have him back,” said manager Kevin Cash. “We saw his (outstanding) stuff early on and it was no different than what we saw last October. It was pretty wipeout stuff and he picked up a bunch of strikeouts against a very good hitting team.”
Cash was referring to last year’s ALDS when Glasnow threw five shutout innings at Cleveland. He missed most of the 2022 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and returned in late September. Including the ALDS, Glasnow appeared in three games, all on the road.
Glasnow made four rehab starts at Triple-A Durham and allowed only two hits in six innings of his final outing with the Bulls last Sunday.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Signup for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help; visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.