After Shohei Ohtani compares Yoshinobu Yamamoto to baby lion, Tyler Glasnow gets in on the act with sweet shoutout to Dodgers teammate

For Tyler Glasnow, the biggest regret of the 2024 season was not being able to compete in the postseason due to injuries. Despite not competing, the pitching star was still awarded a World Series ring - the first of his career.

On Monday, the 31-year-old pitcher took to his Instagram to show off some of his offseason travels. Alongside his girlfriend Meghan, Glasnow traveled to Africa to visit Victoria Falls and sample local wildlife by way of a safari.

Despite starting the season on a very strong foot, Tyler Glasnow dealt with injuries far more than he would've liked in 2024. Though the 6-foot-8 right-hander went 9-6 with a 3.49 ERA, his last pitching outing came on August 11.

In the first image, Tyler Glasnow tagged Meghan, whom he met at a 2021 Tampa Bay Rays game. However, it was the tag on the second image that sparked a reaction from Dodgers fans everywhere.

On an image of himself observing a roaring lion, Glasnow tagged his Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The decision to tag his teammate in the photo was a direct nod to the Japanese pitcher's heroics during October's World Series.

"Tyler Glasnow gave Yoshinobu Yamamoto a big shoutout on Instagram!" - Dodgers Nation

Glasnow's comparison echoes that made by Shohei Ohtani recently. After a near-perfect performance against the New York Yankees in game 2 of the World Series, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was seen roaring in celebration. In response, Ohtani shared an image on his Instagram that showed Yoshinobu's face compared to that of a baby lion.

A former five-time NPB All-Star, Yoshinobu Yamamoto inked a twelve-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers last December. In addition to winning the World Series, Yoshinobu had a strong rookie campaign, going 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 games.

Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to take center stage in 2025

In addition to both Glasnow and Yamamoto returning to the Dodgers' rotation in 2025, the club will also have the option to add Shohei Ohtani to their arsenal. As pitching coach Mark Prior recently told the Foul Territory podcast about having a six-man rotation:

"I think it’s doable, but the biggest issue is whether you have enough depth to make it work, If one guy goes down, what’s the cascading effect? Are you suddenly going to need everyone to pitch on regular rest when they haven’t been doing that for a month or two? Do you have big-league-ready guys in Triple-A to step in and handle it?"

The Dodgers certainly have the chance to be MLB's best pitching team next year. If they are, then it will be due in large part to their top three aces.