Tyler Glasnow's Blazing Comeback: 6-Strikeout Gem Lifts Dodgers Toward Series Sweep

LOS ANGELES – Tyler Glasnow’s fastball is humming again, and so are the Dodgers’ World-Series hopes. In just his second Major-League start since returning from the injured list, the 31-year-old right-hander carved up the Milwaukee Brewers for six strikeouts over six dominant innings, allowing only one earned run and flashing the power repertoire that made him L.A.’s marquee offseason acquisition. The outing lowered Glasnow’s season ERA to 3.10 and served notice that the lower-back tightness that sidelined him from July 9–24 is firmly in the rear-view mirror. Even more encouraging for manager Dave Roberts: the new sinker Glasnow added during his rehab assignment generated weak contact, complementing a four-seamer that routinely touched 98 mph and the signature curveball that remains one of baseball’s most unhittable pitches. Next up is Wednesday night’s series finale against the surging Minnesota Twins at Chavez Ravine, where Glasnow will try to clinch the set and keep Los Angeles atop the NL West while co-ace Walker Buehler rehabs from elbow inflammation. A victory would give the Dodgers a 7-3 homestand and momentum ahead of a crucial East-Coast road swing through Boston and Philadelphia. Why Glasnow’s return matters • Rotation stability: The Dodgers cycled through nine different starters during Glasnow’s absence. His 1.08 WHIP and 12.0 K/9 instantly lengthen the staff and reduce bullpen strain. • October blueprint: President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman envisioned a Buehler-Glasnow one-two punch when he sent a four-prospect package to Tampa Bay last December. With Buehler set to rejoin the club in mid-August, that plan is finally materializing. • Trade-deadline clarity: Healthy Glasnow allows the front office to target bullpen depth instead of overpaying for another frontline arm. What’s different in 2025 During spring training pitching coach Mark Prior challenged Glasnow to add a sinking variant of his fastball to keep hitters off the four-seamer that flattens at the top of the zone. The righty unveiled the pitch in Triple-A Oklahoma City, then leaned on it for nine of his 82 offerings against Milwaukee. Brewers hitters produced an average exit velocity of just 84 mph on the sinker, well below league average, a trend scouts expect to continue as the sample size grows. Glasnow also shortened his stride by two inches to reduce back stress—an adjustment suggested by the club’s biomechanics department after motion-capture analysis during his IL stint. The tweak has helped him stay on top of the ball, yielding sharper break on his curve and tighter glove-side command of the slider. Clubhouse impact Veteran catcher Will Smith raved about the outing: “Tyler was filling it up with everything. When he’s landing the curve early, the heater plays up, and that new sinker gives us a put-away option for contact when we need it.” Rookie right-hander River Ryan, whom Glasnow mentored during rehab, called the performance “a masterclass in sequencing.” League-wide ripple effects With Shohei Ohtani limited to DH duties until 2026, the Dodgers’ championship aspirations hinge on a lockdown rotation. If Glasnow sustains his current form, Los Angeles could pivot at the July 31 trade deadline toward fortifying left-field offense or a high-leverage reliever rather than chasing another starter. That strategic flexibility might also depress the market value of pending-free-agent arms like Chicago’s Dylan Cease, who had been linked to L.A. insiders say. Injury history and workload management Glasnow has topped 120 innings just twice in his big-league career, so Roberts plans to keep him around 95–100 pitches per start. The club built doppio off-days into the second-half schedule, and analytics staff project the starter for roughly 75 more innings before a September throttle-down designed to peak in October. Fantasy and DFS takeaway Glasnow’s strikeout surge and improved ground-ball rate make him a top-10 fantasy starter down the stretch. His next three projected opponents—Minnesota, Boston, and San Francisco—rank in the bottom third of MLB in OPS against right-handed sinkers, making him a must-start in roto and a high-ceiling DFS play. Bottom line Tyler Glasnow’s healthy return could be the single most important development in the National League pennant race. If his evolving pitch mix continues to neutralize both righties and lefties, the Dodgers will possess the power ace they envisioned when they rolled the trade-deadline dice last winter—and the rest of baseball will be playing catch-up.