The Dodgers' World Series hopes suffer another setback with Tyler Glasnow's worrying injury

While the race for the West Division of the National League is becoming more and more exciting, the Los Angeles Dodgers have lost another regular player to injury.

Just 10 minutes before the first pitch of Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers announced that right-hander Tyler Glasnow had been placed on the injured list for the second time this season.

Glasnow, who is battling tendinitis in his elbow, has been the star of the Dodgers' rotation this season. He has posted a 3.49 ERA, 2.63 xERA and 2.91 FIP with a 0.95 WHIP in 134 innings, setting a new career high in 14 innings after throwing 120 last year. He has also struck out 32.2% of the hitters he faced this season while walking just 6.7%.

Rookie left-hander Justin Wrobleski was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to make his fifth MLB appearance on Friday, making left-hander Bobby Miller the likely option to replace the injured Glasnow in Saturday's start. Wrobleski allowed four runs and four hits — including three home runs — in five innings, but a five-run inning to the Dodgers' batting lineup in the sixth inning helped the rookie earn his first major league win. Miller has been optioned since just before the All-Star break, but travels with the MLB club on the taxi squad.

Although the Dodgers have been plagued by injuries this season, they still have a three-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.

Three different Dodger pitchers — Emmet Sheehan, Kyle Hurt and River Ryan — have had season-ending Tommy John surgery this season. Pitching prospect Nick Frasso had to undergo season-ending labrum surgery, and Tony Gonsolin was already out for the rest of the season after undergoing elbow surgery last year. Dustin May was expected to return himself following elbow surgery, but his season ended abruptly when he had to undergo emergency surgery for a torn esophagus.

That's just over half of the Dodgers' 11 different starting pitchers on the injured list this season. Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw have also missed time, as has Miller. It's unclear exactly how long Glasnow will be out, but losing him for any amount of time is a major blow to the Dodgers.

Glasnow was expected to be at the top of the Dodgers' postseason rotation, but now his availability is a big question mark for the rest of the season. For the Dodgers to protect the NL West crown from the up-and-coming Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, they will have to hope that trade deadline signing Jack Flaherty can continue to pitch well and that Kershaw returns to his pre-surgery form sooner rather than later.

More Dodgers content from Dodgers Way