The Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitching depth has been tested early on as a result of Tony Gonsolin and Ryan Pepiot both opening the 2023 season on the 15-day injured list.
Gonsolin is working his way back from a sprained left ankle he suffered while walking off the field during a Spring Training workout at Camelback Ranch.
Pepiot was expected to be included on the Dodgers Opening Day roster but a left oblique strain sustained in the Freeway Series finale changed those plans.
Gonsolin progressed to the point of pitching in a game at Camelback Ranch this week and will continue throwing bullpen sessions, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he won’t begin a Minor League rehab assignment until the end of April, via SportsNet LA:
“Tony threw a game [Monday] against hitters. Two innings and then threw a third inning in the ‘pen. Came out of it well, so I would assume that next would be a bullpen and then kind of do three innings following that. … He’ll stay in Camelback for another two to three weeks (before starting rehab assignment).”
As for Pepiot, he still hasn’t thrown a baseball since being shut down with his oblique injury:
“Pepiot still hasn’t picked up a baseball. I think today it’s been two weeks, and still has some discomfort.”
The Dodgers’ initial hope was for Gonsolin to return at the end of April, and Pepiot previously expressed confidence he would make a quick recovery from the oblique injury.
A silver lining to Gonsolin beginning the season on the IL is that he has used the downtime to improve his mechanics. “I feel like I’m in a better spot now, actually,” Gonsolin recently said.
“I started to create a little bad habit with landing. The arm action was a little weird, the timing of the throw was a little weird. So got with Mark Prior and C-Mac (Connor McGuiness), and they saw it immediately. They’re like, ‘Hey, man, if you’re going to throw, you need to do it the right way.’
“So it’s a blessing in a way that I was able to correct some of the mechanical stuff or feel like I’ve corrected some of the mechanical stuff.”
Dodgers fifth starter
With Gonsolin and Pepiot both sidelined, Michael Grove has assumed the final spot in the Dodgers rotation for the time being. The right-hander pitched through illness in his first start of the season against the Colorado Rockies, allowing three runs over four-plus innings.
Grove then allowed a career-worst nine runs on 12 hits in his second outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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