Tampa Bay Rays ace Tyler Glasnow, who left his start on Monday night because of elbow inflammation, has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and a flexor tendon strain, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Glasnow will attempt to rehab the injury without undergoing Tommy John surgery, though it's unclear what his chances are of avoiding that fate.
Glasnow, 27, had pitched fantastically over his first 14 starts this season. He'd compiled a 2.66 ERA (145 ERA+) and a 4.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 88 innings. Although the Rays tend to steer away from lengthy starts, they'd recently allowed him to work at least seven innings in four of his last five outings entering Monday's contest against the Chicago White Sox.
Glasnow, for his part, blamed his injury on MLB's new policies aimed at curbing pitchers' usage of foreign substances. "I just threw 80 something innings and you just told me I can't use anything. I have to change everything," he told reporters, including Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Florida. "I truly believe 100 percent that's why I got hurt. I'm frustrated MLB doesn't understand. You can't just tell us to use nothing. It's crazy."
In the short term, the Rays will likely attempt to weather Glasnow's absence by recalling right-hander Luis Patiño from Triple-A Durham. The Rays have a few other starting pitchers at that level who can pitch in as needed, including Brent Honeywell Jr. and Drew Strotman. (The recently promoted Shane Baz, acquired alongside Glasnow from the Pittsburgh Pirates, seems unlikely to get the call anytime soon.)
The Rays could also dip into the trade market over the coming weeks in an attempt to counterbalance the loss of Glasnow. The Rays have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, and could theoretically be a player for any and every starting pitcher on the market, provided they're willing to take on salary.
Want even more coverage of Glasnow's injury? Listen below and follow the Fantasy Baseball Today Podcast as the crew examines some replacements you can look at in both shallow and deeper leagues.
The Rays entered Tuesday with a 43-24 record on the season, good for first place and a three-game lead in the American League East. The Rays will continue their series with the White Sox on Tuesday before jetting to the west coast for four games against the Seattle Mariners this weekend.
