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Dodgers are hopeful Tyler Glasnow can be an ace. But first, he'll have to stay healthy
For a pitcher who just signed a nine-figure contract extension, who has been mentioned as one of the best natural talents in baseball, and who figures to be one of the key cogs for this season’s Dodgers team, Tyler Glasnow’s personal goals for 2024 might seem rather modest.
“I just wanna stay healthy this year,” the long-haired, long-limbed and oft-injured right-hander said at the start of spring training this week. “And make all my starts.”
The Dodgers, of course, are expecting much more from the new co-ace of their remade rotation.
They dealt a sizable trade package to the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire Glasnow this offseason — giving up highly touted pitching prospect Ryan Pepiot and outfield prospect Jonny DeLuca — in hopes the 30-year-old flamethrower could fill the club’s void of true front-line pitching talent.
They extended Glasnow on a five-year, $136.5-million contract — the most guaranteed money a Dodgers pitcher had received under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, until Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s MLB-record signing a week later — with the idea the Southland native could help carry the pitching staff for a half-decade to come.
“When he makes his throw, there’s a lot of conviction,” manager Dave Roberts said. “His ball has a lot of carry in the strike zone. And when you’re talking about an upper-90s fastball that’s thrown with conviction through the catcher, it makes it pretty special.”
Before such lofty expectations can be met, however, Glasnow will have to hit a few more basic objectives first.
Get through the rest of this spring training healthy. Manage what could be the first true full-season workload of his career. And consistently showcase his potential over a 162-game season , avoiding the kind of injury-related speed bumps and detours that have limited him to only two campaigns of 100 or more innings out of his eight MLB seasons.
“We feel like the arrow is really pointing up and that, over the next few years, he is really going to take on a lot of starts,” Friedman said of Glasnow last week. “The work ethic is there. We spent a lot of time digging into that. And that’s a bet we’re making.”
Whether that gamble pays off or not could have far-reaching impacts for the Dodgers.
The last two years, the team lacked a consistent ace to stabilize an often-times patchwork rotation.
Walker Buehler was supposed to be the guy in 2022, before blowing out his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery. Julio Urías was primed for the role last year, only to underperform through the summer before missing the stretch run following an arrest for suspicion of domestic violence in September. Clayton Kershaw tried to step up in their absences, but dealt with his own physical limitations before having a shoulder surgery this past offseason.
That’s why, outside of the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, the Dodgers viewed the rotation as their No. 1 priority this winter.
Yamamoto, the Japanese league star who signed for $325 million, ended up being their splashiest free-agent addition. But, as he eases into his transition to MLB, it’s Glasnow who might be the biggest factor in the Dodgers’ near-term success.
“He’s in a good spot right now,” Roberts said after watching one of Glasnow’s first bullpens of the spring this week. “We just want him to be himself.”
Glasnow has rarely been able to showcase his true self over extended stretches on the mound.
Tyler Glasnow, pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Seattle Mariners on July 1, 2023, has never gone more than 14 consecutive starts in a season without getting injured.
(Stephen Brashear / Associated Press)
A former fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Hart High in Santa Clarita, Glasnow has dealt with injuries at almost every turn of his journey in the big leagues.
After his second outing as a rookie in 2016, he went on the injured list with a shoulder injury. After being dealt in 2018 to the Rays, who made the then-swingman reliever a full-time starter, Glasnow dealt with a litany of elbow and forearm problems — all of which culminated with Tommy John surgery in 2021.
Even last year, as Glasnow set career highs in starts (21), innings (120) and strikeouts (162), he missed two months with an oblique injury and another week with back spasms.
As a result, Glasnow has never been to an All-Star Game, despite a highly touted pitching arsenal that pairs his power fastball with a hard slider and wipeout curveball. He has never received Cy Young votes, even though he has the 11th-best ERA among MLB pitchers since 2019 (minimum 300 innings). And he’s hardly even experienced a half-season of uninterrupted play, having never made more than 14 consecutive outings in a single campaign without suffering an injury.
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“I think sometimes with medical histories, there’s usually breadcrumbs of what was going on, what happened,” Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said. “I think, in his situation, it sounds like there was some stuff that always persistently lingered.”
This year, the Dodgers are hoping Glasnow will turn a corner.
Most of Glasnow’s past ailments, both he and Dodgers officials believe, were either related to his now surgically repaired elbow, or were “freakish” issues, as Friedman described them, that the team feels confident won’t pop up again.
“We feel like he is going to hold up and he’s going to be a big part of what we do,” Friedman said.
“I think it’s probably safe to say if we didn’t feel optimistic,” Prior added, “that we wouldn’t have done it.”
Glasnow also indicated he is in a better place physically than he has been in years past, noting that ever since his elbow healed, “everything was good and I feel really good right now.”
Indeed, instead of a rehabilitation or recovery program this spring, the 6-foot-8 hurler has been working with Dodgers coaches to refine his mechanics and hone in on specific “feels” with his pitches — a key process for a veteran that Roberts described as “thoughtful” and “cerebral” with his delivery.
During a bullpen session last week, Glasnow and Prior spent several minutes talking through the pitcher’s delivery on the mound; covering everything from Glasnow’s release point (as Glasnow would mimic slow-motion throws, Prior would position his hand in the optimal spot) to his footwork (“For a bigger, taller guy, he moves really well,” Prior noted) to his plan for using different pitches to attack the strike zone.
“A lot of these first weeks, especially with new guys, it’s just a lot of questions and probing, trying to get an understanding of how they interpret things,” Prior said. “We definitely have some thoughts. But I think our first thing is always to try to draw out of them how they want to go about the process and what they internalize.”
Once the season starts, Glasnow and the Dodgers will have to hit the ground running.
Yamamoto won’t be immediately rushed into a standard every-five-days starting schedule, needing time to adjust from his once-per-week schedule in Japan. Buehler isn’t expected to be ready in time for opening day, and will probably face workload restrictions after his expected return early in the year. Another new signing, James Paxton, has his own history of injuries that might prompt the Dodgers to give him extra rest.
While it doesn’t necessarily mean Glasnow will be asked to shoulder a greater share of the pitching workload early in the year — Roberts noted that the club remains “mindful” of the fact Glasnow hasn’t pitched a full season before — it will likely position him as the rotation’s anchor in the early going, if not its leading ace for much of the season.
“For Glass,” Friedman said, referencing an unintentionally ironic nickname for a pitcher who has too often seemed made of it, “I think he’s good to go however the schedule shakes out.”
“The body, the work ethic, the stuff we feel like is going to hold up,” Friedman added. “He’s going to be a big part of what we do.”
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New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of former Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who is facing two misdemeanor charges following a run-in with law enforcement just days ahead of the NFL Draft.
Branch, who is a projected second-round pick, was arrested early Sunday morning in Athens, Georgia, and charged with two counts of obstructing public sidewalks/streets – prowling and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch celebrates after a touchdown catch against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Nov. 28, 2025. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
He was released after more than two hours in jail after posting $39 in bonds.
The NFL Network obtained the police report from Branch’s arrest, which described an encounter over an alleged sidewalk incident with law enforcement, in which police alleged that the former Bulldogs star failed “to comply with multiple verbal lawful commands.”
“A male, later identified as Zacharia Branch, continued to stand on the sidewalk without making an attempt to move. I continued to give Zacharia Branch verbal commands to move from blocking the sidewalk and advised that if he did not, he would receive a citation for blocking the sidewalk,” the excerpt from the report read.
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch runs during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 28, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
TOP NFL DRAFT PICK ZACHARIAH BRANCH ARRESTED IN GEORGIA ON TWO MISDEMEANOR CHARGES
“Zacharia Branch smirked, then stepped backwards and to the right, then remained standing upon the public sidewalk, so as to obstruct, hinder, and impede free passage upon the sidewalk as well as impede free ingress/egress to or from the adjacent places of business,” the report continued.
“Due to those actions and Zacharia Branch’s failure to comply with multiple verbal lawful commands, he was placed under arrest for misdemeanor Obstruction of LEO and received a citation for Obstructing Public Sidewalks.”
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch celebrates with wide receiver Colbie Young after scoring a touchdown against Ole Miss during the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Jan. 1, 2026. (IMAGN)
Branch transferred after two seasons at Southern California and immediately became quarterback Gunner Stockton’s favorite target. He finished the season with a team-high 811 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.
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His status as a projected second-round pick was bolstered after an impressive showing at the combine, where he clocked a 4.35-second 40-yard dash.
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For two-thirds of Sunday’s Long Beach Grand Prix, Alex Palou bided his time … waiting for the one break he needed.
It came in the form of a caution on the 58th lap, allowing him to overtake front-runner Felix Rosenqvist exiting pit lane and hold the lead the rest of the way, taking the checkered flag by 3.96 seconds for his third triumph in five IndyCar Series races this season and his first at Long Beach.
Right after being showered with applause and confetti at victory lane, the 29-year-old Spaniard thanked his crew, whose quick work on the last pit stop proved to be the difference.
“Everyone was coming in on that yellow and they did an incredible job,” he said. “We were either going to win it or not win right there.”
Rosenqvist settled for second and Scott Dixon, Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, was third.
It was the 11th win over the last 22 races dating to 2024 for the Barcelona native and the 22nd win of his career, tying Tony Bettenhausen and Emerson Fittipaldi. It also vaulted Palou to the top of the series standings as he chases his fourth series championship in a row and fifth overall. Palou won the opener March 1 in St. Petersburg (also a street course) and the fourth race March 29 in Alabama.
Palou led for only 32 of the 90 laps Sunday and acknowledged it would have been difficult to catch Rosenqvist if not for the stoppage.
“I wasn’t giving up but it would’ve been tough to get him today,” Palou acknowledged. “He was already three seconds ahead. I was happy with my car but I was struggling more on the soft tires than the hards so I’d say my chances were low. The feeling was great seeing all the open space coming out of pit lane because when you spend 60 laps behind a car it disturbs you. I tried to match him on soft tires but it wasn’t working.”
Alex Palou speeds through a curve of the track.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
In six starts at Long Beach, Palou never has finished lower than fifth.
There is little room to maneuver on the 1.968-mile course with 11 tight turns, but after starting in the third position next to defending champion Kyle Kirkwood, Palou managed to sneak past Pato O’Ward into second place heading into the first turn on Lap 2.
“Making that move on the straightaway was big because I knew it was one of our only chances to get a pass on Pato,” Palou said. “I got that good run on that last corner and he didn’t expect it.”
This year marked the 51st edition of the longest-running major street race in North America, which started in 1975 as part of the Formula 5000 Series, switched to the CART/Champ Car World Series in 1984 and joined the IndyCar Series in 2009.
The top four qualifiers started on softer, high-grip “alternate” tires to establish position while the rest of the grid started on harder, more durable “primaries” to manage degradation on the 110-degree track surface. Of the 25 starters, 24 completed the 177.12 miles.
“We were going to make the two-stop strategy work but didn’t know if it would be doable or not,” Palou added. “As soon as I saw I couldn’t get Felix it was all about patience, fuel and waiting for the right time. I owe this win to my team. Without that pit stop I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now. It only takes one mistake to go from second to seventh, but they’re great under pressure.”
Cars make their way down a straightaway during Long Beach Grand Prix.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Past winners Will Power and Josef Newgarden moved into the top two positions after Rosenqvist pitted, but the Swede regained the lead when Newgarden pitted for the first time on Lap 37 and dropped back to 14th.
The first 45 laps were caution-free as Rosenqvist, Palou, Kirkwood, David Malukas and O’Ward held the top five spots. Newgarden’s chances declined upon discovering a flat spot on his left front tire, and he dropped back to 14th.
Rosenqvist’s three-second lead was erased when debris on the track exiting the Aquarium Fountain drew the only yellow flag all afternoon and narrowed the gap. Capitalizing on favorable pit position, Palou emerged from the lane just ahead of Rosenqvist.
Rosenqvist. who won the pole position with a lap time of 1 minute 7.4625 seconds in qualifying, had mixed emotions as the runner-up after leading for 51 laps with no win to show for it.
“You want to win when you have an opportunity, but I’m proud of today,” Rosenqvist said.
“We weren’t as good as Alex on the blacks … the last pit cycle was the defining moment. We had to come around 14, he had more of an opening, and his crew nailed it. That happens.”
Kirkwood, who was vying for his third win in four years, finished right where he started in fourth.
“I had a good cushion and figured even with a bad stop I’d probably stay ahead but I knew there’d probably be a yellow at some point and there it came,” Rosenqvist lamented. “Considering Alex had primary [tires], also I think we would’ve been able to hold him off. It’s definitely disappointing when you can’t wrap it up.”
Dixon, who started in the sixth position, was third and earned his first podium this season and the 136th of his career.
Fans watch with two laps left in the race.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
“The race itself was a bit blah — I sat in the same position for most of it,” Dixon said. “Luckily for us we had it easy out of that last stop.”
Al Unser Jr. holds the record for most wins at Long Beach, chalking up six in eight years, including an unmatched four in a row from 1988 to 1991.
Tom Sargent is becoming a fan of street circuits after two wins this weekend. Driving the Porsche 911 Cup for GMG Racing in the Mobil Pro Class, the 22-year-old Australian led from start to finish in Race 1 of the Carrera Cup North America on Saturday. In Race 2 on Sunday morning, he again started from the pole and claimed a 0.965-second victory over Aaron Jeansonne to complete the double.
In his last bid at Long Beach three years ago, he hit the wall on Lap 2 but still finished second.
“Momentum in sports is critical and the past few weeks have been really cool for me,” Sargent said. “I didn’t do any street circuit racing before I came to the States. Maybe it fits my driving style.”
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LAS VEGAS – Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio were once brothers in arms in the Judgment Day. The two helped the faction run “Monday Night Raw” for several years.
As championships and opportunities came and went, the rift between Balor and Mysterio grew. It came to a head when Balor caused Mysterio to lose the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Balor leaving the Judgment Day left Mysterio and Liv Morgan as the leaders with JD McDonagh, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez sticking around.
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The latter four chose to ride with Mysterio and attacked Balor on one episode of Raw.
The bitter war led to a match Sunday night at WrestleMania 42. To make matters more interesting, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce made the match a street fight hours before the show was set to begin.
Balor had vowed to bring the “Demon” out and he certainly did.
JACOB FATU PUTS DREW MCINTYRE IN THE ‘REAR VIEW’ IN UNSANCTIONED MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA 42
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Balor made his way to the ring in his “Demon” gear, dripping with red and black paint. Mysterio was in a mask with other Mysterio supporters.
The two then proceeded to beat the crud out of each other.
Mysterio wrapped Balor’s head in between a chair and hit a 619 on him. He tried to pin Balor, but to no avail. At another point, Mysterio tossed Balor through a table set up in the corner.
As many have learned, it’s hard to keep your demons down. Mysterio learned the hard way.
Balor would not give up. Balor clotheslined Mysterio, hit him with a chair multiple times before wrapping his head in between the chair and drop-kicking him into the corner. Balor put Mysterio onto a table and hit the Coup de Grâce for the win.
Dominik Mysterio is introduced before his match against Finn Balor during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Balor excised his own demons, while Mysterio is still haunted.
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