In a season of so much promise for the Tampa Bay Rays, the team suffered a massive blow during Friday’s game against the New York Yankees and will be feeling the ramifications for weeks.
Starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow pulled himself from the game with an elbow injury. On Saturday morning, Tampa Bay announced its ace would miss the next four-to-six weeks with a mild right flexor strain.
Given there were immediate fears of a potential torn UCL in his pitching elbow, which would have kept him out until the 2020 All-Star Break, this isn’t the worst-case scenario for the Rays. However, the absence of the team’s co-ace will be a major blow.
Glasnow, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Chris Archer deal, established himself as a Cy Young candidate this season. The 25-year-old recorded a stunning 1.86 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 55 strikeouts across 48.1 innings.
Fortunately, the Rays still have reigning Cy Young winner Blake Snell in the rotation. Now with Glasnow sidelined, the pressure will be on Snell again to start putting up the type of numbers we saw from him in 2018.