The writing has been on the wall for a bit, but the Tampa Bay Rays and their star pitcher, Tyler Glasnow, have been dealt a devastating blow.
Glasnow needs Tommy John surgery, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
"Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery next week, sources tell ESPN," Passan tweeted Saturday. "While there remains a small chance doctors will see a path toward him rehabbing his partially torn UCL, the expectation is that Glasnow needs an elbow procedure.
"The hope is that Glasnow can return sometime during the 2022 season, but he may not pitch again until 2023, his final season before he reaches free agency."
Glasnow has been out since mid-June due to a slight UCL tear, something he blamed on MLB's crackdown on foreign substances. He managed to throw off a mound, but it seems not getting the procedure would only be prolonging the inevitable. By getting it now, there's at least a chance, as Passan alludes to, that he could be back late next season.
Glasnow had been stellar this season prior to the injury. The 27-year-old was 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA across 88 innings (14 starts).
The Rays currently trail the Red Sox by a half game in the American League East standings.
