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Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Generational upgrade.' Inside Dodgers' offseason renovations to their new home clubhouse
During the offseason, construction crews gutted the bowels of Dodger Stadium, digging deep trenches down the left and right field foul lines to build new, expanded clubhouse areas. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) When the Dodgers' Guggenheim ownership group first bought the team in 2012, one of their early hires was renowned sports architect Janet Marie Smith. And in her first couple of months on the job, one of her biggest early tasks quickly became clear. The clubhouse at the time, she recalled, still felt like a '1962 locker room' — from the shared batting cage and food room used by the home and road teams, to the dilapidated dressing room that still harkened back to the stadium's opening a half-century earlier. Advertisement So, that first offseason before the 2013 campaign, the team did some immediate renovations, updating the space with more modern features and expanding its footprint to a more spacious two-level design. But over the decade since, a more complete reimagining of the space had been on the club's bucket list. Read more: Mookie Betts is happy to be back in the Dodgers' lineup This winter, those visions finally became reality. When the Dodgers begin the domestic portion of their schedule on Thursday, hosting the Detroit Tigers for their home-opener at 4:10 p.m., they will do so in the comfort of a brand-new clubhouse space, having completed an extensive renovation to Dodger Stadium this offseason that centered on transforming the area players will call home for the next six months. Advertisement 'We felt that what we'd done in 2013 seemed like a marked change,' Smith said this week. 'But what we've done this year is what [team president] Stan Kasten has described as a 'generational upgrade.'' In the space of just four months this winter, construction crews gutted the bowels of Dodger Stadium, digging deep trenches down the left and right field foul lines to build new, expanded clubhouse areas within the confines of Major League Baseball's third-oldest ballpark. When fans arrive Thursday, the results of the work won't be obvious to the naked eye. From the exterior, the ballpark won't look much changed from the extensive 2020 renovations Smith oversaw at the stadium, when the outfield pavilions were updated and the center field plaza was added to become Dodger Stadium's new 'front door.' But beneath their feet, the Dodgers will be enjoying all the trappings of their new home clubhouse. Fans take in the view as construction workers finish renovations during DodgerFest at Dodger Stadium last month. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) They now have expanded weight, training and food rooms. Their once-cramped locker room has been turned into a more spacious, luxurious setting. And, to the excitement of much of the roster, a second batting cage has been installed as well, one fitted with all the trappings of modern training technology in what the team hopes will serve as yet another boon to its superstar-laden roster. Advertisement 'That clubhouse was amazing,' first baseman Freddie Freeman said after getting his first look during the team's Freeway Series exhibition game against the Angels on Sunday. 'Really crazy,' added starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow. 'Everything was really nice.' 'It's hard to put into words,' echoed third baseman Max Muncy, one of the longest-tenured players on the roster. 'You get so used to something being there and you come in and you have no idea where you're at. It's really cool. It's what you'd expect out of the Dodgers.' Because Dodger Stadium is built into a hillside in Chavez Ravine, Smith said the only way for the team to create new space for its players and coaching staff was effectively by digging deeper into the ground. Advertisement 'It would be impossible — and I don't use that word casually — to go into the hillside to create the space for the clubhouse,' said Smith, whose decorated career includes leading past jobs to build Camden Yards in Baltimore, transform Turner Field in Atlanta from a Summer Olympics venue into an MLB stadium, and renovate Fenway Park in Boston for a second century of use. 'So,' she continued of this winter's Dodger Stadium renovations, 'we took all the seats out, created the space below the playing field, and then created essentially a concrete roof over that' for the pre-existing structure to be rebuilt on top of. Read more: Dodgers will visit President Trump and the White House to celebrate World Series title Planning for the project had taken shape over the last two years, with Smith soliciting input from president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and his front office, members of the coaching staff and playing roster, and virtually anyone else who counts the clubhouse as their workplace on a daily basis. Advertisement 'I don't think there's anyone in the clubhouse who didn't have some input on their area,' she said. 'That's been really helpful.' And through those conversations, the reality Smith first confronted a decade ago was only further crystallized as blueprints came together. 'As we worked with our baseball operations team and Andrew Friedman and all of his lieutenants,' she said, 'it became clear that what we really needed was not just an appendage to the clubhouse, but a holistic renovation.' Now, the home clubhouse is a sprawling three-story structure residing beneath Dodger Stadium's field level. It stretches from behind the third-base dugout all the way down to the left-field foul pole. And it's so big, Freeman joked that before Sunday's game, he didn't even have time to check out all of its new features on his first day there. Advertisement 'I heard there were [new] sleep rooms,' he said with a laugh. 'I haven't even seen those yet. So yeah, it's gonna take a couple days to take it all in.' One of the most notable changes was the expansion of the actual locker room, which transformed from one of the smallest home dressing rooms in all the majors to a more modern space with new stalls complete with mood lighting and digitized nameplates. Vast improvements were also made to strength and conditioning rooms, something that Smith credited to owner Mark Walter's goal of making Dodger Stadium 'a place where the players feel is there for them 12 months a year,' and also noted as being high on Friedman's list of suggestions. 'One of the things that Andrew and his team asked for was that our weight room and training room be placed together,' she said, 'because the activities between the two are very fluid.' Advertisement The team's full-service kitchen got a facelift, too, having evolved as a place of renewed importance since Dodger Stadium's last clubhouse renovations in 2013. Construction crews worked throughout the offseason to finish upgrades to the team's clubhouse in time for the start of the 2025 season. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Same went with the batting cages — the place many hitters and coaches spend much of their time pregame, and made near-universal requests for the creation of a second hitting tunnel. 'I mean, we made it work with one cage,' Freeman said. 'But having two cages, obviously you can get so much more. Guys can work at the same time … We'll be able to change schedules.' 'More space, more resources,' Freeman added, 'means hopefully better things.' The real surprise from players was how quickly the renovations got done. Advertisement Freeman deadpanned that, compared to Dodger Stadium's four-month timeline, it took a wine cellar he installed at his home 'about eight months to do, so I'm kinda confused.' Glasnow added that, at points this offseason, he 'honestly didn't think it was gonna get done' in time for the start of the season. 'But when we walked in, everything was ready to go,' Glasnow remarked this week, his eyes still wide with amazement at the new space. 'To all the workers, I don't know how they did that so quick. It was so much stuff.' Smith acknowledged the scale of this offseason's renovations isn't usually completed so quickly. She estimated that the timeline 'probably should have been three times' as long as their four-month construction window. But, to expedite the process, crews from PCL construction, along with hundreds of other subcontractors and vendors who were involved in the job, worked on a seven-day-per-week schedule. Some contractors, Smith said, 'have literally not had a day off since January.' 'When they took the job on, it was sort of a pact everyone made: You're gonna be available,' Smith said. 'And everyone stuck to that … I think people feel real pride in being able to be a part of something that has this kind of cultural relevance to the city.' Advertisement Read more: News Analysis: Shohei Ohtani is restarting his throwing program. But how much will he pitch in 2025? Smith's hope is that fans feel similarly, even if their gameday experience might not look much different when they arrive Thursday. 'I know it's not a fan-facing space [that we renovated],' she said. 'But I think our fans have such a connection to our players and their emotions and their psyche, that I hope they sort of feel that energy resonated.' With the players, at least, it already is; giving the Dodgers' defending World Series-winning roster one more thing to celebrate as they open the 2025 season. 'It feels like they created space out of nothing, which they kind of did,' Muncy said. 'Everything just feels a whole lot bigger. It's kind of amazing.' Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: Tyler Glasnow looks to stay healthy this season
Howdy, I'm your host, Houston Mitchell. Let's get right to the news. From Jack Harris: In his first year with the team last season, the Dodgers got the full Tyler Glasnow experience. In the first half of the campaign, the $136.5 million offseason addition was one of the best pitchers in baseball. He had a sub-3.00 ERA into late June, recording 135 strikeouts over his first 100 innings. He earned his first-ever All-Star selection, and was fulfilling his potential as the ace of the Dodgers' starting rotation. Alas, in a season that began with so much promise, old (and frustrating) problems resurfaced again. When he returned to action, the 6-foot-8 right-hander didn't look as dominant, either. He struggled to rediscover a comfort level in his long-limbed delivery. From June 29 (shortly before he got hurt) to Aug. 11, he stumbled to a 5.29 ERA over six starts. That's when, right as the Dodgers' shorthanded rotation needed him most, Glasnow went on the shelf for good. Thus, after being relegated to spectator during the team's World Series run last October, Glasnow arrived in camp this spring with a familiar objective. 'The No. 1 goal this year is just to stay healthy,' Glasnow said at the team's DodgerFest fan event earlier this month. 'That's by far the No. 1 goal.' Continue reading here From Dan Woike: Lakers players looked around the meeting room Saturday morning, double-checking with one another to make sure that what they thought they just heard was what JJ Redick actually said. Did he, the Lakers coach, clearly amped up for their game with Denver later that night, tell his players to go to war and to be 'willing to die on the court?' He sure did. 'We said, 'We're going to war' that night,' forward Rui Hachimura said. After the Lakers beat Denver 123-100 in one of their best wins of the season, the admittedly 'amped' Redick was still preaching intensity. 'If we play that hard for the rest of the regular season, we're going to be just fine,' Redick told his team postgame. 'That should build your belief. It built my belief in what we can accomplish.' The challenge, of course, is that the NBA schedule doesn't always provide big games like this one, the Lakers facing a team that knocked them out of the playoffs the last two seasons. Continue reading here Cade Cunningham had 32 points and nine rebounds, Jalen Duren added 12 points and 19 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons won their seventh straight game with a 106-97 victory over the Clippers on Monday night. Tobias Harris added 20 points for the Pistons, who broke a 10-game losing streak to the Clippers. Detroit (32-26) hadn't won seven straight since Dec. 26, 2014, to Jan. 7, 2015. The Pistons have their best 58-game record since they were 42-16 in 2007-08 — the last year they won a playoff game. James Harden had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who were again without Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell. Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 16 boards. Continue reading here Clippers box score NBA scores NBA standings From Gary Klein: After a season-ending loss in the snow, it did not take long for the Rams' offseason to heat up. Questions about quarterback Matthew Stafford's future arose immediately. A few weeks later, receiver Cooper Kupp's fate was apparently sealed. Will both stars be gone? Will one or both be back? General manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay must address other issues. But until Stafford's and Kupp's situations are resolved, real plans for free agency and the draft cannot move forward. The NFL scouting combine begins Thursday in Indianapolis, free agency opens March 12 (preceded by the two-day negotiating period) and the draft will be held April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wis. Last week, the NFL announced that the salary cap would be between $277.5 million to $281 million per team, an increase of more than $22 million. The Rams currently have about $44.3 million in cap space, according to Here are five questions facing the Rams as they prepare for free agency and the draft. Continue reading here From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: From drafting fifth overall to set up a quick one-year turnaround, the Chargers hold the 22nd overall pick in April's draft after an unexpected 11-6 record and wild-card round appearance. Between next month's draft and one of the most flexible salary-cap scenarios in the league, the Chargers can address their most pressing concerns at offensive line, receiver and on the defensive front to gear up for what coach Jim Harbaugh called 'Version 2.0.' While the Chargers are seemingly ahead of schedule in their rebuild, each hole is still glaring for a franchise searching for its first playoff win since 2018. 'It's a thousand little things that add up to make all the difference,' Harbaugh said last month. 'We were close. Now we want to put it over the top.' Here are five questions facing the Chargers as they shuffle their roster this spring. Continue reading here Sam Farmer's NFL mock draft 1.0: Titans won't pass on QB with their top pick Trevor Moore had two goals, Quinton Byfield had a career-high four assists and Warren Foegele scored the go-ahead goal as the Kings rallied to a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night. The Kings trailed 2-1 after two periods, but Moore tied it 42 seconds into the third with a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle that went off the crossbar for the first of four straight L.A. goals in the final 20 minutes. It was Moore's second game this season with two goals. Four of the forward's 10 goals have come in the last four games. Continue reading here Kings summary NHL scores NHL standings Ducks forward Trevor Zegras has been suspended three games without pay for a hit to the head of Detroit's Michael Rasmussen. The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced the suspension for interference Monday after holding a disciplinary hearing with Zegras, saying it was a 'late, high hit.' No penalty was called on the play late in the second period of the teams' game Sunday. 'Players who are not in possession of the puck are never eligible to be checked,' the league said in a video explaining the suspension. 'Contact is made outside the window where a check may be legally finished. In addition to the lateness, what causes this hit to rise to the level of supplemental discipline is the significant head contact on this play, combined with the force.' Also Monday, the Red Wings freed up $3.6 million in salary-cap space by trading goalie Ville Husso to the Ducks. The Red Wings received future considerations in dealing the 30-year-old player who has spent a majority of this season in the minors. Husso had a 1-5-2 record with Detroit and went 8-4 with two shutouts with AHL Grand Rapids this season. Husso is completing the final year of a three-year contract, and was assigned by Anaheim to the Ducks' AHL affiliate in San Diego. Continue reading here 1940 — The first telecast of an American hockey game is transmitted over station W2XBS in New York. The viewing audience watches the New York Rangers battle the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden. 1957 — The United States Supreme Court rules that pro football, unlike professional baseball, is subject to the anti-trust laws of the United States. The court decides 6-3 that baseball is only anti-trust exempt pro sport. 1961 — Niagara ends St. Bonaventure's 99-game winning streak at home with an 87-77 victory over the Bonnies. 1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 67 points, but New York's Richie Guerin scores 50 to lead the Knicks to a 149-135 victory. 1964 — Cassius Clay wins the world heavyweight title when Sonny Liston is unable to answer the bell for the seventh round at Convention Hall in Miami Beach, Fla. 1977 — Pete Maravich of the New Orleans Jazz scores 68 points, the most by an NBA guard, in a 124-107 victory over the New York Knicks. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor had scored more points in an NBA game. 1987 — The Southern Methodist football team is suspended for the 1987 season after investigations reveal that players received $61,000 from a booster slush fund. 1994 — Oksana Baiul of Ukraine wins the figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, and Nancy Kerrigan, who was whacked on the knee 2½ months earlier, wins the silver. Tonya Harding, later convicted of hindering prosecution in the Kerrigan attack, finishes eighth. 2001 — In the largest playoff in PGA Tour history, Robert Allenby wins the Nissan Open on the first extra hole against five other players. It's Allenby's third PGA Tour victory, all of them won in playoffs. 2010 — In Vancouver, the Canadian women defeat the United States 2-0 for their third straight Olympic hockey title. Americans Billy Demong and Johnny Spillane finish 1-2 in a Nordic combined race. They are the first American medalists in a sport that's been part of the Winter Olympics since 1924. 2017 — Marit Bjoergen wins a record 15th world championship gold medal in cross-country skiing with victory in a 15-kilometer skiathlon. The 36-year-old Bjoergen has more gold medals than any other cross-country skier — male or female — in world championship history, having previously shared the record of 14 gold medals with retired Russian Yelena Valbe. 2017 — Kelsey Plum surpasses Jackie Stiles to become the NCAA's all-time scoring leader with a career-best 57 points in the final regular season game of her career, leading No. 11 Washington past Utah 84-77. Plum passes Stiles' mark of 3,393 points midway through the fourth quarter. 2018 — Kirill Kaprizov scores a power-play goal in overtime to lift the Russians to the gold medal in men's hockey with a 4-3 win over Germany at the Pyeongchang Olympics. 2018 — Norway's Marit Bjoergen closes out a remarkable Olympic career, winning the gold medal in the women's 30-kilometer mass start at the Pyeongchang Games. The 37-year-old Bjoergen is the only Olympian to win five medals at these Games and finishes her career with 15 medals. She leaves as the most decorated athlete in Winter Olympic history. Compiled by the Associated Press
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
After offseason changes, Tyler Glasnow has familiar goal with Dodgers: 'To stay healthy'
In his first year with the team last season, the Dodgers got the full Tyler Glasnow experience. In the first half of the campaign, the $136.5 million offseason addition was one of the best pitchers in baseball. He had a sub-3.00 ERA into late June, recording 135 strikeouts over his first 100 innings. He earned his first-ever All-Star selection, and was fulfilling his potential as the ace of the Dodgers' starting rotation. Most of all, though, Glasnow was staying healthy, making a career-high 17 consecutive starts without interruption in what was shaping up to be a corner-turning moment in his injury-plagued career. Read more: After near-death experience, Dustin May thrilled to be pitching: 'Like a new beginning' 'When he's right and synced up,' manager Dave Roberts said, 'it's as good as anyone.' Alas, in a season that began with so much promise, old (and frustrating) problems resurfaced again. Shortly before the All-Star break, Glasnow was placed on the injured list with lower back tightness, forcing him to miss a couple weeks as well as the Midsummer Classic. When he returned to action, the 6-foot-8 right-hander didn't look as dominant, either. He struggled to rediscover a comfort level in his long-limbed delivery. From June 29 (shortly before he got hurt) to Aug. 11, he stumbled to a 5.29 ERA over six starts. That's when, right as the Dodgers' shorthanded rotation needed him most, Glasnow went on the shelf for good, developing a case of elbow tendinitis that would ultimately end his season despite repeated attempts to come back in time for the playoffs. 'He just wasn't healthy,' Roberts said. 'He really wasn't.' Thus, after being relegated to spectator during the team's World Series run last October, Glasnow arrived in camp this spring with a familiar objective. 'The No. 1 goal this year is just to stay healthy,' Glasnow said at the team's DodgerFest fan event earlier this month. 'That's by far the number one goal.' That pursuit began in earnest Monday, when Glasnow made his first Cactus League start of the spring in the Dodgers' 8-1 loss against the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. Glasnow threw just one inning, striking out his first two batters before yielding a pair of singles and a two-run double to veteran outfielder Austin Hays. The small sample size, though, was enough for the 31-year-old to continue getting accustomed to a subtly altered delivery this year — one he hopes will limit the stress on his oft-injured arm, and allow him to do something he has yet to accomplish during his nine years in the majors: Stay healthy for an entire campaign. 'It was nice to be back out there,' Glasnow said afterward. 'It's been a while since being in an actual game. But I felt sharp. I felt good.' For Glasnow, staying healthy has been an elusive task for years now. During his six seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, who converted the former fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates from reliever to starter in 2018, Glasnow never surpassed 120 innings in a single season because of repeated arm troubles. The low point came in 2021, when he underwent a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him until late the following season. Last year, after the Dodgers traded for Glasnow and signed him to his five-year extension, he believed his injury problems were behind him, noting his elbow hadn't given him issues since his 2021 procedure. By the start of the winter, though, Glasnow had returned to the drawing board, with his case of elbow tendinitis sending him on an offseason exploration for a more sustainable delivery. Through conversations with both Dodgers coaches and private biomechanical instructors, Glasnow said he discovered he was 'flying open' too much in his old delivery; almost like a golfer over-rotating on each swing. To compensate, Glasnow unknowingly put more force on his elbow as he extended toward home plate. Though Glasnow still set career-highs for starts (22) and innings pitched (134) in 2024, the extra stress finally caught up with him. And while he avoided any major injury — he got an MRI exam early in the offseason that confirmed his elbow had healed, he said, setting him up for a relatively normal winter throwing program — he still spent the last several months looking for solutions. The fix, Glasnow said, has centered on maintaining a better 'spine angle' in his delivery (in other words, not letting his upper body fly open as much) and 'keeping my direction toward home plate' on every pitch. His hope is that it will not only help him prevent injuries, but also improve the consistency of his command. 'When I'm in a healthier position, it's just less effort for the same type of push,' Glasnow said. 'So it's just trying to carry that through the season." More challenges await Glasnow in Year 2 with the Dodgers. While his new delivery should ease the stress on his arm, it will pose a mental test for a pitcher who sometimes struggles with what he describes as an overly 'mechanical headspace' on the mound — where his thoughts become preoccupied with his mechanics instead of simply executing each pitch. 'He'll be the first to tell you that he gets a little too mechanical-driven,' Roberts said. 'When you're in a big-league ballgame, it's about executing and competing and getting hitters out.' Read more: Dodgers giving Korean rookie Hyeseong Kim every chance to succeed The happy balance, both he and Dodgers coaches have said, is when Glasnow is feeling 'athletic' on the mound; thoughtlessly mixing his upper-90s mph fastball with a swing-and-miss combination of sliders and curveballs, instead of thinking about the details of his delivery or worrying about the status of his health. 'The theme,' Glasnow said, 'is just like, 'I'm gonna try and work on, when I go out in the game, to just be as athletic as I can.'' For one inning, at least, Monday was a step in the right direction. Whether it can translate into a healthy, consistent and full season of pitching? Only time will tell. 'This whole offseason, he's been trying to work on getting more athletic, getting his delivery right,' Roberts said. 'That can kind of take care of his arm, and he's done that. So now, you got the subtleties of competing, and how to navigate a game.' Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
24-02-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
After offseason changes, Tyler Glasnow has familiar goal with Dodgers: ‘To stay healthy'
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — In his first year with the team last season, the Dodgers got the full Tyler Glasnow experience. In the first half of the campaign, the $136.5 million offseason addition was one of the best pitchers in baseball. He had a sub-3.00 ERA into late June, recording 135 strikeouts over his first 100 innings. He earned his first-ever All-Star selection, and was fulfilling his potential as the ace of the Dodgers' starting rotation. Most of all, though, Glasnow was staying healthy, making a career-high 17 consecutive starts without interruption in what was shaping up to be a corner-turning moment in his injury-plagued career. 'When he's right and synced up,' manager Dave Roberts said, 'it's as good as anyone.' Alas, in a season that began with so much promise, old (and frustrating) problems resurfaced again. Shortly before the All-Star break, Glasnow was placed on the injured list with lower back tightness, forcing him to miss a couple weeks as well as the Midsummer Classic. When he returned to action, the 6-foot-4 right-hander didn't look as dominant, either. He struggled to rediscover a comfort level in his long-limbed delivery. From June 29 (shortly before he got hurt) to Aug. 11, he stumbled to a 5.29 ERA over six starts. That's when, right as the Dodgers' shorthanded rotation needed him most, Glasnow went on the shelf for good, developing a case of elbow tendinitis that would ultimately end his season despite repeated attempts to come back in time for the playoffs. 'He just wasn't healthy,' Roberts said. 'He really wasn't.' Thus, after being relegated to spectator during the team's World Series run last October, Glasnow arrived in camp this spring with a familiar objective. 'The number one goal this year is just to stay healthy,' Glasnow said at the team's DodgerFest fan event earlier this month. 'That's by far the number one goal.' That pursuit began in earnest Monday, when Glasnow made his first Cactus League start of the spring in the Dodgers' 8-1 loss against the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. Glasnow threw just one inning, striking out his first two batters before yielding a pair of singles and a two-run double to veteran outfielder Austin Hays. The small sample size, though, was enough for the 31-year-old to continue getting accustomed to a subtly altered delivery this year — one he hopes will limit the stress on his oft-injured arm, and allow him to do something he has yet to accomplish during his nine years in the majors: Stay healthy for an entire campaign. 'It was nice to be back out there,' Glasnow said afterward. 'It's been a while since being in an actual game. But I felt sharp. I felt good.' For Glasnow, staying healthy has been an elusive task for years now. During his six seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, who converted the former fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates from reliever to starter in 2018, Glasnow never surpassed 120 innings in a single season because of repeated arm troubles. The low point came in 2021, when he underwent a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him until late the following season. Last year, after the Dodgers traded for Glasnow and signed him to his five-year extension, he believed his injury problems were behind him, noting his elbow hadn't given him issues since his 2021 procedure. By the start of the winter, though, Glasnow had returned to the drawing board, with his case of elbow tendinitis sending him on an offseason exploration for a more sustainable delivery. Through conversations with both Dodgers coaches and private biomechanical instructors, Glasnow said he discovered he was 'flying open' too much in his old delivery; almost like a golfer over-rotating on each swing. To compensate, Glasnow unknowingly put more force on his elbow as he extended toward home plate. Though Glasnow still set career-highs for starts (22) and innings pitched (134) in 2024, the extra stress finally caught up with him. And while he avoided any major injury — he got an MRI exam early in the offseason that confirmed his elbow had healed, he said, setting him up for a relatively normal winter throwing program — he still spent the last several months looking for solutions. The fix, Glasnow said, has centered on maintaining a better 'spine angle' in his delivery (in other words, not letting his upper body fly open as much) and 'keeping my direction toward home plate' on every pitch. His hope is that it will not only help him prevent injuries, but also improve the consistency of his command. 'When I'm in a healthier position, it's just less effort for the same type of push,' Glasnow said. 'So it's just trying to carry that through the season.' More challenges await Glasnow in Year 2 with the Dodgers. While his new delivery should ease the stress on his arm, it will pose a mental test for a pitcher who sometimes struggles with what he describes as an overly 'mechanical headspace' on the mound — where his thoughts become preoccupied with his mechanics instead of simply executing each pitch. 'He'll be the first to tell you that he gets a little too mechanical-driven,' Roberts said. 'When you're in a big-league ballgame, it's about executing and competing and getting hitters out.' The happy balance, both he and Dodgers coaches have said, is when Glasnow is feeling 'athletic' on the mound; thoughtlessly mixing his upper-90s mph fastball with a swing-and-miss combination of sliders and curveballs, instead of thinking about the details of his delivery or worrying about the status of his health. 'The theme,' Glasnow said, 'is just like, 'I'm gonna try and work on, when I go out in the game, to just be as athletic as I can.'' For one inning, at least, Monday was a step in the right direction. Whether it can translate into a healthy, consistent and full season of pitching? Only time will tell. 'This whole offseason, he's been trying to work on getting more athletic, getting his delivery right,' Roberts said. 'That can kind of take care of his arm, and he's done that. So now, you got the subtleties of competing, and how to navigate a game.'
Los Angeles Times
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers spring training live updates: Latest news and analysis from Arizona
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. How will Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts look? 4 things to watch at Dodgers spring training Fans walk past a mural of Dodgers players during DodgerFest at Dodger Stadium earlier this month. PHOENIX — Ninety-nine percent. According to Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projection system, that is the Dodgers' likelihood of making the playoffs this year. A whopping 99.4%, to be exact, before a single pitch has even been thrown.
