Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin could be an option for the L.A. pitching rotation once the postseason gets underway.
L.A. has been hit by numerous injuries, especially to its pitching rotation. The Dodger arms have struggled to stay healthy, but Gonsolin could be on his way to saving the day and possibly putting L.A. over the top.
After the Dodgers dropped Saturday’s contest to the Colorado Rockies, manager Dave Roberts said Gonsolin has been ramping up and looking good in his rehab outings.
“He’s been good, so we’ve just got to keep building him up,” Roberts said. “If this one goes well, then I think a conversation about him joining us at some point is more tangible.”
“The great thing about Tony is that he’s done both, and I think they both have their own value,” Roberts said. “No. 1 is to get him right, get him built up, and then we’ll kind of assess where our staff is at, in its totality.”
Gonsolin’s latest rehab outing was encouraging. In his outing Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, he allowed only one walk over three innings while striking out six.
Saturday marked his third rehab start, and it was his best outing yet, recording as many strikeouts as he had across his first two appearances while tossing 45 pitches. The 30-year-old is almost at the finish line of recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The Dodgers could use all the help they could get, even if it were Gonsolin, who would be thrown into the fire. The former All-Star pitcher is hoping to rejoin the Dodgers in the final week of the regular season in some capacity. It’s unlikely that Gonsolin will return to his traditional starting role, so an assignment to the bullpen could be more likely if he is activated.
Gonsolin’s return could be everything for L.A., especially considering that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will not be able to pitch in October. Although Ohtani is 12 months removed from Tommy John surgery, he may not be ready to pitch in any capacity.
The former ninth-round draft pick last pitched in 2023, when he recorded an 8-5 record with a 4.98 ERA, 82 strikeouts, and a 1.22 WHIP in 20 stats and 103.0 innings. In his career, Gonsolin holds a 34-11 record with a 3.19 ERA.
