Tony Gonsolin made his long-awaited return to the mound on Tuesday when he began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The right-hander started against the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners affiliate) and allowed two hits over two scoreless innings in what was his first game since Aug. 18, 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gonsolin recorded three strikeouts against no walks, generating five swinging strikes with his cutter and changeup.
The 30-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last September after pitching through elbow discomfort. Gonsolin was expected to miss the entire 2024 season, but he has made steady progress in his recovery.
“I think it’s slightly open,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Gonsolin potentially returning this year. “And I think that’s a good mindset for Tony to kind of shoot for something this year.
“If all things line up, great, and if it doesn’t, then we can pivot to ’25. But I think that his mindset that the door is not completely closed on ’24 is a good thing.”
Walker Buehler was in the same position as Gonsolin last year coming off a second Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair. He made one rehab start with Oklahoma City before ending his pursuit of a return to focus on 2024.
Gonsolin could take a similar path or attempt to rejoin the Dodgers before the end of the regular season. Should he return, Gonsolin would not be an option for the starting rotation.
“It would be out of the ‘pen,” Roberts said of Gonsolin’s potential role. “Just looking at the calendar, the build-up, so that’s where it would be potentially.”
Because Gonsolin is on the 60-day injured list, the Dodgers would have to make a corresponding move on the 40-man roster to activate him.
Tony Gonsolin’s contract status
Gonsolin signed a two-year, $6.65 million contract extension in January 2023 to avoid arbitration. He has two years of salary arbitration remaining before potentially becoming a free agent after the 2026 season.
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