Tyler Glasnow cemented his ace status against the New York Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays fans collectively gasped when starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow winced in pain on the mound during the fifth inning of his start Saturday afternoon against the New York Yankees.

He held his glove-side hand, his left hand, between his legs, shaking it vigorously on the mound. Quickly, manager Kevin Cash and the Tampa Bay Rays training staff came out to check on their new ace.

Luckily, it seems that the pain was simply just hand cramps as a quick water bottle chug and some gel provided temporary relief.

Tyler Glasnow would go on to get through the inning without fail.

Want your voice heard? Join the Rays Colored Glasses team!

Write for us!

It would be his last inning on the mound in probably his worst start of the season, but his line on Saturday?

5 IP, 2 hits allowed, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, 105 pitches.

His season ERA increased…to 0.73 as the Rays would take care of business, winning 6-3.

Helping Tyler Glasnow improve to 2-0 in 2021.

Tampa Bay Rays TV color analyst Brian Anderson explained Tyler Glasnow’s loss of velocity and command within the first two innings of his start to a T during the game, noting a change in his release point.

A simple change of the fulcrum of his wrist while releasing the ball re-gained that control, and through it all: the velocity drop, the loss of control and the hand cramps, Tyler Glasnow was dominant and virtually un-hittable.

At his worst, Tyler Glasnow showed that he was still at his best and then some in the Bronx. It’s been a long time coming for the right-hander, two years more-or-less, since he’s had this dominant of a stretch on the mound.

Tampa Bay Rays fans remember the start of Tyler Glasnow’s 2019 season, one where he was arguably the AL Cy Young front-runner through the start of May before a right arm strain sidelined him until September.

No one wants to hear about that again because this is the closest that Rays fans have seen to that version of Tyler Glasnow. And the 2021 version of him might be better than 2019.

Keep in mind these are all small sample sizes as he’s made just four starts so far this season, but for now, it looks like the Tampa Bay Rays have found their new ace, and he’s ready for all the smoke.