Tyler Glasnow Emerging As Dodgers’ Likely NLDS Game 4 Starter
Tyler Glasnow’s expected role in the Dodgers’ National League Division Series rotation is beginning to take shape.
Dave Roberts said Glasnow remains a possibility for any of the first three games, but indicated that a potential Game 4 is currently the most likely assignment.
“He’s one of four,” Roberts said. “Could he factor in one of the first three games? Possibly. I would say most likely Game 4.”
The Dodgers have not officially announced their rotation, and Roberts said the club will continue discussing its options before the series begins Saturday.
For now, however, the plan appears to involve preserving Glasnow as a traditional starter rather than using him out of the bullpen during the opening games.
“I don’t see him out of the bullpen early,” Roberts said.
Dodgers Unlikely To Repeat Last October’s Glasnow Plan
Glasnow demonstrated his versatility during the Dodgers’ 2025 championship run.
He pitched 1⅔ scoreless innings out of the bullpen in NLDS Game 1 before returning five days later to start Game 4 against Philadelphia.
Glasnow then delivered six scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and three walks while striking out eight in the Dodgers’ series-clinching victory.
That strategy worked because the 2025 NLDS schedule included an unusual off day between Games 1 and 2. Glasnow could make a relief appearance and still receive enough rest before his scheduled start.
The 2026 schedule does not provide the same opportunity.
The Dodgers will play Games 1 and 2 on consecutive days at Dodger Stadium before traveling for Game 3 on Tuesday. A potential Game 4 would be played Wednesday.
If Glasnow worked early in the series, he could be asked to start Game 4 with limited recovery time. Roberts’ comments suggest the Dodgers are not planning to create that complication.
Keeping him out of the bullpen during the first three games would allow Glasnow to complete his normal preparation for a possible elimination or series-clinching start.
Glasnow Finished The Regular Season With An Encouraging Start
Glasnow enters October after one of his strongest performances of the season.
He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning against San Diego in his final regular-season start and finished with a season-high 11 strikeouts over 6⅓ innings.
Glasnow allowed three runs on three hits and two walks, but the Padres did not record their first hit until the sixth.
He completed the regular season with a 5-2 record, 3.53 ERA and 0.95 WHIP across 74 innings. Glasnow struck out 98 hitters in 13 starts, averaging nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings.
His season was interrupted by lower-back spasms that kept him out for more than three months, but he returned in August and made six starts down the stretch.
The Dodgers will now use the bye week to keep him sharp while arranging a rotation that also includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell.
Dodgers Have Four Legitimate Postseason Starters
The Dodgers’ rotation depth gives Roberts several ways to structure the NLDS.
Yamamoto, Skubal, Snell and Glasnow all have a legitimate argument to start near the front of a postseason series. The challenge is determining the order that provides the best rest and creates the strongest options for a possible Game 5.
Starting Glasnow in Game 4 would allow the Dodgers to use three of their other starters across the opening games while keeping the right-hander on a traditional schedule.
It would also leave a Game 1 or Game 2 starter available to return for a decisive Game 5.
The opponent could influence the final order once the Braves-Phillies Wild Card Series is complete, but Roberts made clear that the Dodgers consider Glasnow one of their four primary starters.
Game 4 may ultimately be unnecessary if the Dodgers sweep the series. If it is played, however, Glasnow is currently positioned to receive the ball.
That assignment remains likely—not official.
Would you trust Tyler Glasnow with the season on the line in a potential NLDS Game 4?