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Tyler Glasnow Struggles in His Return to the Pirates Rotation

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PITTSBURGH — With the opportunity to go out and put a bow on his up-and-down 2016 season, Tyler Glasnow fell into some familiar traps.

He gave up four runs in three innings in the Pirates’ 10-7 loss to the Washington Nationals, and although he didn’t figure in the decision, Glasnow’s continued struggles at the major-league level have farther-reaching effects.

His fastball command continues to be an issue. Even though he issued only one free pass, he was frequently unable to start with strike one on hitters and found himself in too many offensive counts.

“Unfortunately, he was behind in the count,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “Half the hitters he faced, he was behind in the count. Fastball command was below average. The curveball had better command but it wasn’t executed repeatedly.”

Glasnow agreed and called his command and feel “pretty below average.”

“That’s kind of been the theme since I’ve been up here,” he said. “Stuff hasn’t been as sharp. I’m going to get back eventually, I know I will. I’ve been that guy. It’s all I can remember. I just need to keep pitching and it’ll come back eventually.”

Another problem that has continually cropped up for Glasgow is his inability to turn his changeup into a successful third pitch. He threw it five times out of a total of 67 pitches, and Hurdle said it wasn’t down in the zone enough.

But the other problem with his changeup is his fastball. For whatever reason, Glasnow’s fastball velocity is down from his minor-league peak. On Sunday, he hit 96 just as often as he hit 89 and was typically sitting between 92 and 94. With his changeup coming in at about 89 or 90, there’s little separation between the two pitches.

“Everything as of late as just been flat and instead of mid-to-high 90s, it’s low 90s,” Glasnow said. “My room for error is a lot less. I just have to go out and compete with what I have.”

He’s right. Here’s Glasnow’s fastball velocities for Sunday’s start:

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Glasnow insists there’s nothing physical that’s preventing him from throwing harder.

“I feel good. Healthy,” he said. “That’s the thing that can get a little frustrating because it’s not a health thing. I’m not sore or anything.”

He thinks that with some video work and continued reps, he can find his lost velocity while improving his control.

“I think just looking at video, working on stuff and just pitching every fifth day, really,” he said. “You’re always going to have ups and downs. I think stuff-wise, this [bad stretch] has lasted a little longer than it has before, but like I said, it’s going to come back eventually.”

After three stolen bases by the first two batters, Glasnow was able to control the running game by changing up his timing to the plate. It’s possible that the changes in tempo and the introduction of a slide step to his stretch delivery is what’s sapped Glasnow of some of his power.

“That’s one of the challenges for him,” Hurdle said. “It’s a special arm. It’s a bright young man. The opportunities in the minor leagues aren’t what they’ve been up there. This is the big-league level. Guys are going to get on base, guys are going to run and guys are going to look to do things. I think in the long run, situations like this help draw attention to it. You feel the sting of it. In the minor leagues, you might not feel the sting. … I think there’s an opportunity for growth through all of this.”

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