Rays Starter Suffers Oblique Injury; Team "Bracing For The Worst"

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow suffered an oblique injury during a live batting practice session on Monday, and he is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.

The Rays are bracing for the worst, with Glasnow likely to miss at least some time, possibly as much as six to eight weeks, which could include the start of the regular season.

#Rays are still waiting for MRI results on Glasnow but Cash said he is sure to miss start of the regular season with oblique injury: “I would book that right now. … I talked to him this morning - typical soreness, bothers him to sneeze, cough, whatever.”

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) February 28, 2023

This would be a significant setback for the Rays, who are counting on their pitching depth to carry them this season. Yonny Chirinos and Luis Patino are the leading candidates to fill Glasnow's spot in the rotation, with Taj Bradley and Josh Fleming also in the mix.

Glasnow, who missed most of last season following Tommy John surgery, was expected to be a key part of the Rays' rotation this year, but the team may have been cautious with his workload to avoid exceeding a 150-inning limit.

Nonetheless, this injury is a tough blow for both Glasnow and the Rays as they prepare for the upcoming season.

Since the 2019 season, Glasnow has pitched just 212.2 innings of work, compiling a sparkling 2.75 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, with 300 strikeouts over 39 starts.

More information will be provided once the MRI results come back. Photo Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports