TAMPA, Fla. – The Rays’ five-man rotation looked to be one of the best in baseball in 2023. It still may be, though an early setback has altered the picture at least for the time being.
Tyler Glasnow, who returned to the mound late last season after recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery, will be out until at least mid-April after straining his left oblique while throwing batting practice at the team’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista on Monday.
You never know with oblique strains. Luis Patino, for instance, exited during the first inning of his first start in the Rays’ fourth game last season. He did not return until mid-July, a full three months later.
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Including the wild card series against Cleveland, in which he threw two-hit ball over five shutout innings in the decisive Game 2, Glasnow made three appearances last season and threw 11 2/3 innings in his first big league action since June 2021. He underwent Tommy John surgery in August of that year.
Last August, as Glasnow was working his way back, the Rays extended the 29-year-old for two years through 2024. He is due to make $5.35 million this year and $25 million next year.
The Rays’ rotation was looking rather formidable with the 6-foot-8 Glasnow, 2022 all-star Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs and Zach Eflin, who was signed as a free agent after spending seven seasons in Philadelphia.
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Patino, Yonny Chirinos or Josh Fleming could fill the void until Glasnow returns. Of course, it all depends on how the big right-hander recovers from this latest setback.
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