Dodgers move Glasnow to 60-day IL, Stone 'very unlikely' to return

The Los Angeles Dodgers' battered rotation is taking a few more hits ahead of the playoffs.

Los Angeles transferred right-hander Tyler Glasnow to the 60-day injured list as part of a flurry of roster moves Wednesday, effectively ending his season. Manager Dave Roberts also revealed that rookie right-hander Gavin Stone, who's on the IL with shoulder inflammation, is "very unlikely" to pitch again in 2024, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

Moving Glasnow to the 60-day IL means he's now ineligible to be reinstated until Oct. 16, which lines up with Game 3 of the NLCS.

Glasnow was originally sidelined in mid-August with elbow tendinitis, and he experienced setbacks during his rehab over the last week. On Saturday, after he was diagnosed with a sprained elbow, Roberts admitted that the All-Star's return this season was unlikely.

The 30-year-old, who's in the first season of a five-year contract signed after the Dodgers traded for him in December, put up a 3.49 ERA, 2.90 FIP, and 0.95 WHIP in 22 starts this year. Glasnow set personal-best marks in a slew of categories, including strikeouts (168), innings (134), and BB/9 rate (2.4).

Stone, meanwhile, had emerged as another reliable starter for L.A. before hitting the IL on Sept. 6, putting up a 3.53 ERA and 1.21 WHIP along with 116 strikeouts over 25 starts. Roberts said Stone's progress toward a possible return in late September or during the playoffs has been stalled by continued shoulder soreness, and he's been unable to resume throwing.

Although Roberts isn't optimistic, Stone is holding out hope of pitching again in 2024. The 25-year-old said he's hoping to begin throwing next week, and a final decision on his status won't be made until then, according to Harris.

The Dodgers entered Wednesday with a chance to clinch a postseason berth but are limping toward October. L.A.'s pitching staff has been decimated by injuries all year. Nine pitchers and seven starters are currently on the IL. Yoshinobu Yamamoto did return from a rotator cuff injury earlier this month, but he didn't throw more than four innings in either of his two September starts.

One of those injured pitchers, veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw, threw around 80 pitches in a bullpen on Wednesday, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. While Roberts called that an "encouraging" step for the franchise icon, who's on the shelf with a toe injury, he also acknowledged that time is of the essence if Kershaw is going to pitch in October.

"There's going to be a point whenever we all come together and decide to fire that bullet and let him pitch for us," Roberts said of Kershaw. "I'm holding out hope that it happens. I don't think anyone knows when it's going to happen. But today was a big step in the right direction."

Glasnow's move to the 60-day IL cleared a 40-man roster spot for left-handed reliever Zach Logue, who was selected from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Logue is ineligible to pitch for the Dodgers in the playoffs because he joined the organization last week.

L.A. also activated reliever Joe Kelly from the IL and optioned right-handers Bobby Miller and Michael Grove to Triple-A.