Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Tony Gonsolin (left hamstring) was placed on the Minor League seven-day injured list by Triple-A Oklahoma City backdated to Tuesday (July 2). Additionally, Will Smith was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Dodgers with a strained right oblique muscle, retroactive to June 25.
Although it initially flew under the radar, Smith was sidelined on the same day he returned to Oklahoma City in a corresponding move to the Dodgers calling up Gonsolin.
Smith has only appeared in nine games (seven starts) for the Dodgers but already made a sizable impact. His first career home run was a walk-off, and Smith hit a second game-winning homer at Dodger Stadium as a pinch-hitter on the afternoon he was recalled to replace David Freese on the active roster.
That extended the Dodgers’ MLB record to a third consecutive game with a rookie to hit a walk-off home run. Despite the early success, Smith has yet to remain with the Dodgers for a prolonged stretch.
Though, that’s hardly discouraged or affected the highly-touted catching prospect. “My confidence is very high here, and I carried it over to OKC and kind of let my play show it,” Smith recently said. “Just kept playing hard and put together some good at-bats.
“I knew I was going to be sent back down at some point, so I wasn’t going to let that bug me at all. I didn’t, and I played well.”
Meanwhile, Gonsolin is on the injured list for a second time this season. He previously missed six weeks because of an oblique strain.
Not long after returning, he was called on for a spot start and endured a rocky MLB debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander wasn’t aided by his defense, and it led to the Diamondbacks taking a 4-0 lead before Gonsolin could record an out in the first inning.
He wound up allowing six runs (four earned) in just four innings. Despite the result, Gonsolin enjoyed the experience of getting to make his first Major League start.
Prior to the Dodgers selecting Gonsolin’s contract, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged he and fellow pitching prospect Dustin May were candidates to potentially reach the Majors this season and contribute out of the bullpen.
