Sports
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.
Latest from spring training
“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.”
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS
MONDAY’S RESULTS
First Round
DIVISION II
#16 Triumph Charter 16, #17 Middle College 6
#20 Cleveland 20, #13 Dorsey 2
#10 North Hollywood 12, #14 USC-MAE 0
#18 Taft 13, #15 Central City Value 0
DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys 19, #17 Alliance Bloomfield 2
#20 East Valley 14, #13 Community Charter 3
#14 VAAS 18, #19 Angelou 0
#15 Reseda 24, #18 Stella 0
DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn 44, #17 West Adams 33
#20 Hawkins 28, #13 LAAAE 7
#14 Franklin 19, #19 Mendez 7
#18 Diego Rivera 24, #15 Discovery 8
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
First Round
DIVISION I
#16 Sherman Oaks CES at #1 Venice
#9 San Fernando at #8 Bravo
#12 Lincoln at #5 Chavez
#13 Animo Venice at #4 Chatsworth
#14 LA University at #3 Port of LA
#11 Harbor Teacher at #6 Eagle Rock
#10 Verdugo Hills at #7 Garfield
#15 LA Hamilton at #2 Marquez
Second Round
DIVISION II
#16 Triumph Charter at #1 LA Marshall
#9 Northridge Academy at #8 Rancho Dominguez
#12 Fremont at #5 Symar
#20 Cleveland at #4 Narbonne
#19 North Hollywood at #3 Roosevelt
#11 Orthopaedic at #5 Arleta
#10 Sun Valley Poly at #7 South Gate
#18 Taft at #2 LA Wilson
DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys at #1 Bell
#9 Palisades at #8 Hollywood
#12 Lakeview Charter at #5 South East
#20 East Valley at #4 Maywood Academy
#14 VAAS at #3 Maywood CES
#11 Westchester at #6 Torres
#10 Animo Robinson at #7 LACES
#15 Reseda at #2 Sun Valley Magnet
DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn at #1 Jefferson
#9 Smidt Tech at #8 Alliance Levine
#12 Downtown Magnets at #5 University Prep Value
#20 Hawkins at #4 Huntington Park
#14 Franklin at #3 Santee
#11 Bernstein at #6 Camino Nuevo
#10 Rise Kohyang at #7 CALS Early College
#18 Diego Rivera at #2 LA Jordan
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
Quarterfinals
OPEN DIVISION
#8 Granada Hills Kennedy at #1 Granada Hills
#5 El Camino Real at #4 San Pedro
#6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Birmingham
#7 Legacy at #2 Carson
Note: Division I-IV quarterfinals May 22 at higher seeds; Semifinals all divisions May 27 at higher seeds; Finals all divisions May 29-30 at TBD.
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Russell Wilson has had his share of ups and downs in his NFL career.
He helped the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship in 2013 and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. But the last few years of his career arguably did some damage to his legacy as he’s spent the last three seasons with three different teams.
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New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 9, 2025. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Wilson is still on the free-agent market as he looks to latch on to a new team for 2026. However, former NFL star Aqib Talib implored Wilson to hang up the cleats.
“Do your TV thing, Russ. It’s over with, man. Once you’ve got to decide, do I even want to play?” Talib said on “The Arena: Gridiron.” “I think you don’t really want to play. I hate when guys get to the later part of their career and then they start doing the bounce-around thing and they’re not going to win. There was no chip in New York. That’s just going to be another stop on your resume.”
Wilson reportedly garnered some interest from NFL teams.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson stands on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 26, 2025. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
He told the New York Post that the New York Jets were one of them.
Wilson also was reportedly a candidate to take Matt Ryan’s spot on CBS’ “The NFL Today” after Ryan left to take a front office job with the Atlanta Falcons.
Wilson has 46,966 passing yards and 353 passing touchdowns in 205 career games, but the 2025 season with the New York Giants was one to forget.
Wilson started three games and made some bizarre decisions in a loss against the Chiefs. Jaxson Dart was named the starting quarterback. As he came in to take a few snaps while Dart was being checked for a concussion, Wilson was booed.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 19, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
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Should he end up signing with another team, Wilson will be entering his age-38 season.
A lot has changed since Jacori Perry attended Morningside High School.
Perry is now a renowned artist who goes by the names Mr. Ace and AiseBorn.
The school is now known as Inglewood High School United.
And the lecture hall on that campus now features a large, ornate mural of a soccer ball being grasped by the hands of two people — freshly painted by the 2004 Morningside graduate as the city of Inglewood prepares to host eight World Cup games at SoFi Stadium starting next month.
Local artist Mr. Ace works on his mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11. The artists, whose real name is Jacori Perry, attended the school when it was known as Morningside High more than two decades ago.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
“If you told me that I would be back here painting one of the walls on this campus when I was in high school, I don’t think that I necessarily would have foreseen it,” Mr. Ace said as he was putting the finishing touches on his mural last week. “So I’m a little in amazement about just the way life works in that sense.”
He was one of several Los Angeles-based artists to participate in a Road to World Cup Community Day last month at Inglewood High United. Many of the artists — including Juan Pablo Reyes (“JP murals”), Michelle Ruby Guerrero (“Mr. B Baby”) and Angel Acordagoitia — sketched designs on portable panels (12-feet by 8-feet) and picnic tables for community members to paint.
The picnic tables will remain at the high school in front of Mr. Ace’s mural. The mobile murals will be placed throughout LAX to welcome visitors arriving for the World Cup.
Kathryn Schloessman, CEO of the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee, said in a news release that the event was “just one example of how the energy of the World Cup can be felt in neighborhoods across our region.”
“Students, artists, and volunteers came together to create a work of art that will live on well beyond the end of the tournament,” Schloessman said. “It’s a reflection of the creativity, diversity, and community pride that makes our region so special as we prepare to host the world for FIFA World Cup 2026.”
Community members were encouraged to take part in the painting process, no matter their skill level.
“We made it easy enough for people that have zero experience to a proficient level of experience, for them to all be involved,” said Reyes, who designed and helped paint two mural panels and three tables. “We did the sketch, and then I tried to dab a little bit of color — whatever color is supposed to be there, I dabbed a little bit of color right there, so they would have a guide. …
Students and community members help paint a mural panel during a Road to World Cup Community Day event May 2 at Inglewood High School.
(Dawn M. Burkes / Los Angeles Times)
“I was right there, kind of supervising, making sure that everything went as planned. And if anybody has questions, they’re more than welcome to let me know about them. But, yeah, it’s pretty easy for them to kind of be involved and feel that sense of ownership and have a sense of pride that, ‘Yeah, I was part of that mural-creation process.’ It’s a rich experience for them.”
Acordagoitia sketched several table-top designs for the public to paint at the event.
“They did great,” he said of the community members. “They helped a lot. They were asking questions. They got all the other colors correct. So, yeah, they were excited. A lot of kids were excited to see the live painting, because now kids are used to being on their phones. So that was a great experience for them.”
Acordagoitia also opted to paint a mural panel on his own because “it was a little more technical,” involving portraits of his 8-year-old son, a nephew and a friend.
“I wanted to focus more on the youth because that’s really our future,” he said. “So that’s, that’s the main thing about the mural, just about the kids, soccer, culture, community. It’s exciting for me, because I grew up playing soccer and to include soccer with art, it’s just a dream come true.”
Guerrero said “the community was a big help in filling in all the background colors that I need in order to build the detail and layers” on the two mural panels she designed.
“My whole style is based on culture. And I think that there’s a connection there with the World Cup and how I feel like it brings together all the culture and just, like, celebration,” Guerrero said. “It kind of goes hand in hand with the type of work I do, because my stuff is really festive, celebrating culture. And just as an L.A.-based artist, I think the collaboration made sense.”
The four artists also took part in another Road to World Cup Community Day in downtown L.A. at Gloria Molina Grand Park on March 14. At that event, the artists sketched designs on large sculptures shaped like soccer balls and an oversized picnic table, also for community members to paint.
While Mr. Ace opted to paint his permanent mural at Inglewood High School United on his own, he was sure to include the community theme into his work.
“The idea was really centered around just creating something that was community-based — something that represented the World Cup but also represented some sense of community,” he said. “And so what I did was try to create something that was symbolic, very direct in terms of its relationship to soccer and figuring out through that how to create something simple that [brings] into that a sense of community. And that’s how I landed on the two hands holding the soccer ball.”
Local artist Mr. Ace works on his World Cup-themed mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Back when he was a student on that campus, Mr. Ace said he was always involved in art and knew he wanted a career as an artist. He struggled to come up with the right words to describe how it felt being back there creating a work of art to be shared with the students, all of the community and everyone who happens to see it on the way to a World Cup match.
“I guess there’s no words to really describe it,” he said. “I think if any artist gets the opportunity to paint at their own high school — especially if they’ve been doing large-scale works around the city, the country or the world — I think that is a little touching. When it’s attached to something like the World Cup … you know, a large part of my childhood was spent in Inglewood, so coming from my circumstances and life, I think it’s even more intriguing.”
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