HOUSTON (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow left Wednesday’s game against the Houston Astros before the second inning because of back spasms but he doesn’t believe the issue is serious.
Glasnow allowed a home run to leadoff hitter Brice Matthews before retiring the next three batters, with two strikeouts to end the first. He returned to the mound to warm up before the second inning but appeared to be in discomfort after throwing a pitch and signaled to the dugout.
Several Dodgers staff members, including manager Dave Roberts came onto the field to talk to him and he walked off the field with them after a couple of minutes.
The 32-year-old, who is 6-foot-8, said that he’s dealt with the issue periodically since high school.
“Just like being tall, I guess,” he said. “I get it like a couple of times a year. It was just a warm-up pitch and it gave out and I tried to throw another one and it was like too hard to bend over. But it’s not too serious.”
He was replaced by Jack Dreyer, who pitched two scoreless innings
Glasnow isn’t sure if he’ll be able to make his next start, but doesn’t believe that this will keep him out for long.
“I’m not worried about it at all,” he said. “It’s more about just like I hope I can come back sooner than later, but it doesn’t seem to feel too serious, so I’m not too worried about it.”
Roberts also didn’t seem overly concerned about the issue, but said that Glasnow would have an MRI when they return to Los Angeles.
“Just to make sure that’s kind of what we see and it’s been similar to past occurrences and go from there,” he said. “So I don’t expect it to be an IL situation and I don’t think he does either.”
Glasnow said when this has happened in the past it usually takes him just a few days to feel better and he added after the game that it “doesn’t feel too bad right now.”
Glasnow’s strikeout of Yordan Alvarez in the first inning was the 1,000th of his career.
“It’s a cool accomplishment,” Glasnow said. “It would have been better if I didn’t get taken out of the game in the second with my back. But I’ll be able to look back on it and have a nice feeling about it.”
The right-hander was limited to 18 regular-season starts last year by right shoulder inflammation that sidelined him from the Dodgers between April 27 and July 9.
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