Tampa Bay Rays Ace's Chance Of Pitching in 2022 Further Diminished

Recovering from Tommy John surgery, a return this season was already a longshot; but now we can tack on an extra few weeks of delay, as Tampa Bay Rays ace starter Tyler Glasnow has had arthroscopic surgery on his ankle. 

The #Rays say RHP Tyler Glasnow underwent arthroscopic surgery on Friday to remove loose bodies from his right ankle. The procedure was performed by Dr Aaron Mates in Tampa. Glasnow is expected to return to throwing in 2-3 weeks.

— Neil Solondz (@neilsolondz) March 20, 2022

The ankle surgery was to remove loose bodies from his right ankle. Glasnow had TJ surgery last August, which means his window for return by September of this year is dicey at best. 

The 6'8" starter came down with the injury shortly after baseball began cracking down on foreign substances, causing many pitchers to have to alter their grip and deliveries in order to maintain control. Glasnow was quick to blame his injury on the mid-season change in policy by MLB. 

"I felt completely different. I switched my fastball grip and my curveball grip. I’ve thrown it the same way for however many years I’ve played baseball... I'm squeezing the ball twice as hard, and recruiting all these muscles...and I'm taking my arm and throwing as hard as I can... This sucks."

The then-27-year-old had a 2.66 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 88 innings prior to his injury.

Photo Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports