ST. PETERSBURG — Tyler Glasnow threw off a mound on Friday afternoon and felt good, but the Rays right-hander, who has been dealing with back spasms, will not pitch this weekend.
The Rays are pushing his next start back until Monday, when they begin a series against the Giants in San Francisco.
“I think he could go (Saturday), but we’re trying to be wise here,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said before Friday night’s series opener against the Guardians at Tropicana Field. “He threw 15 pitches and kind of let it go. So, he should be full go on Monday. And then we’ll figure out, we’ll put our heads together how we’re gonna get through (Saturday).”
The Rays have lefty Josh Fleming about ready to come off the injured list after dealing with elbow inflammation. Their rotation is already is stretched thin with Shane McClanahan on the injured list with forearm tightness and most likely joining Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs in missing the rest of the season.
So, the caution with Glasnow is understandable.
The lanky, 6-foot-8 Glasnow thinks the back spasms, which came on suddenly a day before his last scheduled start on Sunday, are just normal wear and tear.
“It happens, like, once every couple of years,” Glasnow said. “I’m talking to a lot of people, too, and guys are like, ‘I sneezed once and it kind of locked up on me,’ and mine was after a workout kind of getting up and it just kind of spasms out.
” I just think it’s normal. … I think a lot of people have experienced a back spasm. It just was terrible timing, but I’m not worried about it as far as in the future. I am just worried more about making sure I’m ready to go when I pitch as soon as I can. It’s just making sure I’m ready.”
Glasnow, who had a cortisone shot on Tuesday, said he still feels the spasms a little, but it has gotten progressively better. He also said he was able to throw the bullpen without thinking about it or feeling it.
“I think it’s still a little bit there, but it has nothing to do with throwing,” he said. “… I think it’s just because it was a spasm (doing) random things. I might feel it, but I just threw a bullpen and I was like, ‘That was great. I don’t feel it.’ It’s been getting better and better every day as far as, like, symptoms and stuff. It just keeps progressing. Like, every time I wake up. It’s like, ‘Alright, it’s a little bit better.’”
Glasnow on Friday threw on flat ground and then threw 14 pitches off the mound with the catcher standing up. He then went full-out with the catcher in a squat behind the plate for 14 pitches.
“It was really encouraging (Friday) just going out and feeling normal,” Glasnow said. “Not really knowing how I was gonna be on the mound, and it felt to fine, so that’s encouraging.”
Glasnow began the season on the injured list after suffering an oblique strain in spring training. He is 5-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 12 starts this season.
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