Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Tony Gonsolin will be recalled to start Friday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, marking his 2020 season debut.
Gonsolin made his MLB debut at Chase Field in June of last year and was a solid option for the Dodgers in his first big league season. Gonsolin made 11 appearances (six starts) in 2019, going 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA, 3.86 FIP and 1.03 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and 15 walks in 40 innings.
The 26-year-old was expected to battle for a spot in the starting rotation during Spring Training this year although the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic obviously changed some things. Gonsolin was late reporting to Summer Camp and ended up being left off the Opening Day roster.
Gonsolin instead was among the players sent to the team’s alternate training site at USC, where he was able to continue building up his pitch count and work in simulated and live situations.
His forthcoming arrival is further representation of a Dodgers’ starting rotation that has already been depleted a bit. David Price opted out of the 2020 season due to health concerns, and then Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood both went down with injuries.
Kershaw was scratched from his Opening Day start with a back issue, while Wood pitched just three innings in his first start of the season and was placed on the 10-day injured list with shoulder inflammation just a couple of days later.
Ross Stripling and Dustin May have both done a solid job filling in for the missing starters so far, and now Gonsolin will get his opportunity. Since Gonsolin was not with the team in Houston this past week, he traveled by car to meet the Dodgers in Arizona.
A move will be made to get him on the 30-man active roster, but Roberts said that will be “contingent” on how the series opener goes.
Kershaw on verge of returning, which could push Buehler back
While Kershaw being placed on the IL with a back injury before the season started wasn’t ideal, he emphasized that he did not believe it to be too serious.
It appears that was the case as he threw a bullpen session earlier in the week and will have another on Thursday in Arizona. Kershaw could then return and start a game this weekend as Roberts revealed they are considering pushing Walker Buehler back a day.
Even if that doesn’t happen, the return of Kershaw seems to be just around the corner.
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