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Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow resumed throwing after landing on the injured list with lower back spasms, raising optimism about a potential return later this month.

Tyler Glasnow has started throwing again, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers their clearest sign yet that their injured right-hander could be nearing a return.

The Dodgers still need Glasnow to clear the mound-session hurdle before they can seriously map out his next start, however.

Glasnow resumed playing catch over the past two days, according to The Athletic‘s Fabian Ardaya, with the Los Angeles Dodgers righty targeting a mound session soon as the next real hurdle in returning from the lower back spasms that landed him on the 15-day injured list May 8.

Back Spasms Forced Glasnow IL Stint

The Dodgers believe Glasnow could return after his minimum-length stint on the injured list, but manager Dave Roberts made clear the club is taking no chances with a pitcher whose injury history has defined and derailed more than a few seasons in his career.

Glasnow lasted just one inning in his May 6 start against the Houston Astros before exiting with lower back pain. An MRI revealed nothing significant, and he downplayed the situation after the game. The Dodgers moved quickly anyway, placing him on the IL two hours before first pitch on May 8 against Atlanta.

“We talked to Tyler, and we just felt it was the right thing to do. It was smart,” Roberts said, as quoted by MLB.com. “Probably could’ve tried to pitch through it. But it’s early, and to be prudent, to be smart, play the game, Tyler was completely on board with that.”

This is not Glasnow’s first go-round with back trouble. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound right-hander was slowed by back tightness in 2024 and was scratched from a start against Baltimore last September for the same reason. He has previously described those episodes as “random tall-guy back spasms,” a wry acknowledgment that his lanky physique comes with occupational hazards.

Before the setback, Glasnow was outstanding. He went to the IL at 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA across seven starts, striking out 49 batters in 39.2 innings while posting a WHIP of 0.832.

Dodgers Rotation While Glasnow Recovers

Blake Snell, returning from left shoulder fatigue, was activated off the IL and started Saturday against Atlanta, easing the blow of the Glasnow injury. The Dodgers also have Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski holding down rotation spots, giving Los Angeles at least 15 days to evaluate who stays once Glasnow is cleared to return.

Wrobleski has been the standout of that group, going 5-0 with a 0.56 ERA in five starts. Sasaki carries a 5.97 ERA through six outings but has shown signs of improvement after unveiling a reworked splitter, according to MLB.com. The rotation question loomed before Glasnow went down. His absence simply delays the tough decisions.

Glasnow’s career has been a long negotiation between his talent and his durability. He spent six years with Tampa Bay, missing significant time across multiple seasons before undergoing Tommy John surgery after 2021. Since arriving in Los Angeles on a four-year, $115 million extension, he made 22 starts in 2024 and 18 in 2025, strong totals relative to his history, but still short of a full workload. The Dodgers are now dealing with Glasnow’s apparent fragility again, but patiently.

If he can progress to a mound session, Glasnow’s estimated return of May 22 could be realistic. A Dodgers rotation missing its injured righty, and an offense that scored three runs or fewer in four straight games this week, will be watching every step.

For the Dodgers, Glasnow’s return timeline is not just an injury note. His timeline could shape the next round of rotation decisions as Los Angeles weighs Snell, Wrobleski, Sasaki and Sheehan around one of the club’s most important arms.