Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Should make season debut next week
Rotowire
Gonsolin (back) is likely to return from the 15-day injured list next week to make his 2025 debut with the Dodgers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Dodgers went with a bullpen game Wednesday the last time the team required a fifth starter, so Gonsolin should be in line to fill that spot in the rotation the next time it comes up Tuesday against the Marlins. Gonsolin didn't pitch for the Dodgers and was limited to just three minor-league rehab starts in 2024 while he completed his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he opened this season on the IL after tweaking his back in spring training while lifting weights. The right-hander was cleared to begin pitching in minor-league games April 3 and made the fourth start of his rehab assignment Wednesday, covering five innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City and allowing two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three. He built up to 79 pitches (49 strikes) in that outing, so Gonsolin should be ready to handle a traditional starter's workload if the Dodgers activate him during the upcoming week.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Set for rehab start Wednesday
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Gonsolin (back) is scheduled to start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.
Gonsolin tossed four innings in his last rehab outing with Oklahoma City last Tuesday, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters he wants the 30-year-old right-hander to pitch into the fifth inning Wednesday, per Moreno. Gonsolin has made three appearances during his rehab assignment, logging a 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB across nine innings. He's in the final stages of his recovery from a back injury that he suffered in early March.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Tosses four innings in rehab outing
Rotowire
Gonsolin (back) hurled four innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City in a rehab start Tuesday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five batters.
Gonsolin retired the first six batters he faced but then struggled in the third inning, giving up three runs. While his final line wasn't great, it's worth noting that all six hits the right-hander allowed were singles, including one bunt single. Gonsolin tossed 43 of 66 pitches for strikes in the outing, and the four frames represented his longest appearance in his rehab stint, which has consisted of three starts so far. Gonsolin will likely need at least one more rehab start before he's activated off the IL, and when he returns he could have at least a temporary spot in the Dodgers' rotation, especially if Blake Snell (shoulder) has not returned to action by then.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Needs more rehab starts
Rotowire
Gonsolin (back) will need at least two more rehab outings to ramp up to five or six innings, MLB.com reports. He threw 3.1 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in his second rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
The Dodgers have openings in the starting rotation with Blake Snell (shoulder) on the injured list and Justin Wrobleski sent to the minors after his last poor outing. However, it doesn't look like Gonsolin is an option in the next week. Gonsolin began the season on the injured list due to a back injury he suffered in mid-March.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Throws 30 pitches in rehab start
Rotowire
Gonsolin (back) tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in a rehab outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, allowing one hit and issuing two walks while striking out one batter.
Gonsolin's control wasn't great in the outing -- he threw only 15 of his 30 pitches for strikes -- but otherwise the right-hander had a smooth return to game action. Gonsolin had his spring cut short due to a back injury he suffered while lifting weights, and he's currently on the major-league 15-day IL. He could be ready to return to the big club in mid-to-late April, though it's not clear what his role will be given that the Dodgers currently have five healthy starters while in the midst of an 8-0 beginning to the campaign.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Starting rehab assignment Thursday
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Gonsolin (back) is scheduled to start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Comets broadcaster Alex Freedman reports.
Gonsolin began the season on the injured list due to a back injury he suffered in mid-March, but he's progressed enough in his recovery to begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A and is expected to pitch two innings Thursday. Gonsolin went 8-5 across 20 regular-season starts for the Dodgers in 2024 and posted a 4.98 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 82:40 K:BB across 103 innings.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Throwing sim game Friday
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Gonsolin (back) threw against live hitters Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Gonsolin began the season on the 15-day injured list after suffering a back injury while lifting weights in early March. Friday was the second time he's thrown to hitters, and he told reporters after his session that his next outing will go three innings either in another simulated game or while on a rehab assignment.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Making progress in recovery
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Gonsolin (back) is "progressing nicely" in this throwing program, per MLB.com.
Gonsolin was competing for a rotation spot for much of spring training, but he injured his back while lifting weights in early March and will open the season on the injured list. Meanwhile, Dustin May will begin the campaign as the Dodgers' fifth starter. Gonsolin doesn't seem to be dealing with a long-term issue, but it's unclear what his role will be upon his return. The right-hander didn't pitch in the majors at all last year while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Lands on 15-day IL
Rotowire
Gonsolin (back) was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
It was previously reported that Gonsolin was expected to begin the season on the injured list due to a back issue, and the team made the move official Monday. Dustin May will hold on to the fifth starter spot until Gonsolin is back at 100 percent, at which point the club will need to make a decision on whether to deploy Gonsolin in long relief or bump May from the rotation.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Bound for IL
Rotowire
Gonsolin (back) will begin the season on the injured list, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Gonsolin recently injured his back while lifting, and manager Dave Roberts confirmed Tuesday that the right-hander won't be ready for the regular season. Dustin May will claim the fifth spot in the Dodgers' rotation as a result, and there's no guarantee Gonsolin will automatically claim that spot once he's healthy.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Dealing with back issue
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Gonsolin has been dealing with a minor back injury suffered while lifting, Dodgers Territory reports.
Skipper Dave Roberts cited the back issue as the reason Gonsolin won't have enough time to ramp all the way up in spring training. As a result, Roberts stated that Dustin May makes the most sense to open the regular season as the team's fifth starter. Gonsolin still has one minor-league option remaining, though the club would more likely elect to deploy the right-hander out of the bullpen, assuming the decision is to roll with May at the back end of the starting rotation.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Starting second spring game
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Gonsolin is scheduled to start Friday's Cactus League game against the Cubs, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Gonsolin didn't pitch for the Dodgers in 2024 while spending most of the season recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in September 2023, but he was cleared to make three rehab starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City this past September. Though he looked sharp at Triple-A, Gonsolin was never reinstated from the injured list during the Dodgers' run to the World Series, but that wasn't the result of him suffering any sort of setback. Despite having had a normal offseason in addition to owning a sterling 3.19 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 375.2 career innings in the big leagues, Gonsolin will have to fight for a spot in a talent-laden Dodgers rotation that added Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki this offseason and also has Shohei Ohtani and Dustin May returning from Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers plan to open the season with a traditional five-man rotation before going to a six-man setup once Ohtani is fully stretched out for starting duty -- perhaps at some point in May -- so Gonsolin will be competing with Sasaki, May, Bobby Miller (concussion), Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski for one of two spots. Gonsolin has a minor-league option remaining, but since he's 30 years old and has a strong track record in the majors, he would likely work out of the big-league bullpen if he misses out on a rotation spot.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Five-man rotation pre-Ohtani
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Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Friday that the team plans to use a five-man rotation until Shohei Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) is ready to pitch, which would seemingly leave Gonsolin in a competition for one remaining spot, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Manager Dave Roberts recently suggested that Ohtani could be ready to make his season debut on the mound sometime in May, though there's no concrete timeline yet. The Dodgers will shift to a six-man rotation at that point, but until then they will use a traditional five-man setup. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki are locked into four of the spots, which leaves Gonsolin, Dustin May, Bobby Miller, Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius and perhaps others competing for the final slot. Roberts said Friday that Gonsolin and May will be considered for the bullpen if they don't make the rotation.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Likely to remain sidelined
Rotowire
Gonsolin (elbow) is likely to remain sidelined for the NLCS against the Mets, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Gonsolin ramped up to three innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City before the minor-league campaign ended, though he has yet to be active in the postseason. Manager Dave Roberts didn't rule him out formally, but Landon Knack looks likely to be the primary choice for long relief for the Dodgers in the NLCS.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Beginning rehab assignment
Rotowire
Gonsolin (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
It will be the right-hander's first game action since he underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2023. A return for Gonsolin before the end of the season has not been ruled out, but if it happens, he would be used in a relief role. The 30-year-old posted a 4.98 ERA over 20 starts for the Dodgers in 2023 prior to surgery.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Could return this season
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said this week that the door is "slightly open" for Gonsolin (elbow) to pitch before the end of the season, per MLB.com.
Gonsolin underwent Tommy John surgery Sept. 1 of last year, so he's almost one year removed from the procedure. The right-hander pitched three live batting-practice sessions earlier in August, during which his fastball sat at 92-to-94 mph -- the same range as his velocity prior to his injury. Gonsolin recently said he's optimistic about his ability to pitch in game action before the end of this season, though Roberts was more conservative in his assessment. If Gonsoin does make it back to the big club, he'll work out of the bullpen.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Set for Tommy John surgery
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Gonsolin (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery Friday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Gonsolin was ruled out for the rest of the 2023 campaign after being moved to the 60-day injured list Sunday, but news of Tommy John surgery likely means he'll miss most, if not the entirety of 2024. This is more disappointing news for the right-hander, who will finish the year with a 4.98 ERA over 103 frames after posting a 2.14 ERA across 130.1 innings a season ago.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Shifts to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Dodgers transferred Gonsolin (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.
The transaction opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver-wire pickup Tyson Miller, but more significantly, it officially closes the door on Gonsolin pitching again in 2023, barring the Dodgers making a deep postseason run. Even if the Dodgers advance to the National League Championship Series or the World Series, Gonsolin is still unlikely to pitch again, given that he could require surgery to address his right elbow injury. Gonsolin recently underwent an MRI, and the Dodgers will await the results before making a decision regarding surgery. If a procedure is deemed necessary, Gonsolin's absence could stretch into the 2024 season.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Could require surgery
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Gonsolin (forearm) might require surgery, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
There's nothing official yet, but Gonsolin is not expected back this season, and a surgical procedure could affect his readiness for the beginning of the 2024 campaign. The 29-year-old right-hander landed on the injured list Aug. 19 due to right forearm discomfort, and an MRI taken earlier this week apparently revealed some form of structural damage.
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Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin: Likely done for season
Rotowire
The Dodgers placed Gonsolin on the 15-day injured list Saturday with right forearm inflammation, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.
After officially announcing Gonsolin's move to the injured list, manager Dave Roberts stated that it is unlikely Gonsolin pitches again this season, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports. The 29-year-old righty will get an MRI on his elbow next week, at which point the team will have a better idea of whether Gonsolin will be shut down for the year. Bryan Hudson was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
