Tyler Glasnow stung by bloop hits early, but Ks 7 in return from back injury

It took an inning for Tyler Glasnow to shake off the rust, but it sure looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers have another high-octane arm back in their rotation.

Glasnow posted seven strikeouts against six hits and three runs (all earned) against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, his first MLB start since hitting the injured list with back spasms in early May.

Tyler Glasnow, 82mph Hammer...and Sword. 🔨⚔️ pic.twitter.com/z1RIULNNqx

All of Glasnow’s struggles came in the first inning, when a string of Braves singles put the Dodgers in a 3-0 hole. None of those hits were what one would describe as well-struck.

Drake Baldwin’s leadoff single was a grounder that found the hole to right field. Matt Olson hit a grounder to the same location. Mauricio Dubón brought in the first run with a 68.7 mph bloop that found grass. Michael Harris II followed with a 77.9 liner that got just past second baseman Tommy Edman.

Glasnow did benefit from some luck at the end, as a blown foul tip call prevented Harris from scoring. Mike Yastrzemski struck out to end the inning one pitch later.

This was called a foul ball, preventing Michael Harris from scoring an additional run during the Braves’ 3-run first against Tyler Glasnow. pic.twitter.com/HaryV9vroq

It added up to a 35-pitch inning for Glasnow, nearly half of his total pitch count in his final rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He more than settled in after that, allowing only two more baserunners over the next four innings.

The score was tied 3-3 by the time Glasnow was removed following the fifth inning, at 89 pitches.

We’re still more than a month from the postseason, but Tuesday’s performance was an encouraging start for the Dodgers given that Glasnow was facing a fellow division leader on the road with considerable playoff seeding implications.

If Glasnow is indeed fully functional, the Dodgers have quite a rotation on their hands with him, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. Even with their struggles earlier this month, it’s hard to imagine any team wants to face that group in October.

That’s not even the complete group, as Shohei Ohtani is still making his way back after a knee injury knocked him off the mound in early July. He could be pitching in games again as early as next week, though with a slow build-up due to his inability to go on a rehab assignment without taking the Dodgers’ most important bat out of the lineup.

It’s unclear how the Dodgers will arrange everything if everyone’s healthy once the playoffs begin, but Glasnow will definitely be a major factor after the Dodgers won all six of his appearances (three starts) in last year’s World Series run.