Dodgers place Tyler Glasnow on 60-day IL as back rehab drags on

The Los Angeles Dodgers transferred right-hander Tyler Glasnow to the 60-day injured list Saturday, a move the team is effectively using to buy more time for a back injury that has stalled his rehab progression.

Glasnow has been out since May 8, when a back spasm surfaced shortly after his start in Houston. Manager Dave Roberts said in late May that the team was taking a cautious approach, and that Glasnow had not been cleared to resume a throwing program. The earliest Glasnow would be eligible to return is July 6, according to a report from The Washington Post that cited the Dodgers’ situation as the season moved toward mid-summer.

The 60-day designation is the next step in a timeline that began earlier with a 15-day IL stint. On May 9, the Dodgers placed Glasnow on the injured list with lower back spasms and recalled a reliever from Triple-A to cover the roster need. At the time, Roberts said an MRI did not reveal anything “significant,” and the organization believed Glasnow could be activated after a minimum-length stint if the back cooperated.

Instead, the back has continued to interfere with the progression that pitchers need between flat-ground work and building toward innings. Roberts’ comments, reported with Saturday’s decision, framed it as a combination of medical restrictions and the body not allowing a return to throwing yet. That makes the 60-day IL more than a clerical change, it is a report that the Dodgers are not comfortable treating this as a quick reset.

To manage the roster, Los Angeles added right-handed pitcher Nick Frasso to the 40-man roster and transferred Glasnow to the 60-day IL. MLB’s press release said Frasso, 27, will remain with Triple-A Oklahoma City for now. The same release listed Frasso as 0-0 with a 4.85 ERA in 11 games, totaling 24 strikeouts in 13 innings, and it noted his prior season production with the Comets.

For the Dodgers, the practical impact is scheduling. Every day Glasnow remains sidelined increases the burden on the rest of the rotation and on the bullpen to cover more innings in the middle stretches of games. In the near term, the Dodgers will be watching not only whether Glasnow can restart and then sustain a throwing program, but also whether the rest of their staff can keep performance steady enough to absorb another extended absence.

Glasnow’s return date is now tied to July 6 eligibility, but for MLB teams the real test is almost always the process that comes before the calendar flip. If he can begin throwing soon and advance without setbacks, the 60-day timeline could hold. If not, the Dodgers may need to continue relying on longer stretches from their current rotation plans while they reshape their bullpen workload.