As the Los Angeles Dodgers welcome back Yoshinobu Yamamoto and await the returns of Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Stone, Tony Gonsolin is beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
Gonsolin is starting at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in the series opener against the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners affiliate). The game is Gonsolin’s first since he pitched for the Dodgers on Aug. 13, 2023.
Gonsolin then went on the 15-day injured list less than one week later and had Tommy John surgery in September. That came after he spent a significant portion of the 2023 season pitching through a right elbow injury.
“I’m looking forward to a fresh start,” Gonsolin said last year. “I get to start over from the beginning and use this as an opportunity to get the rest of my body in a really good spot and overall get my arm in the best shape it can be in.”
After putting together a first career All-Star season in 2022, Gonsolin regressed last year as he dealt with elbow trouble that among other issues, caused a drop off in fastball velocity. At times his four-seamer dipped down to around 91 mph, well off from career averages.
“We got some imaging done in June, so I knew the damage that was in there at that time,” Gonsolin revealed once it was announced he would undergo Tommy John surgery.
“I kind of just pitched out of necessity. I think (Clayton) Kersh was down at the time, Julio (Urías) was down at the time, we had Bobby (Miller), and (Emmet) Sheehan got called up from Double-A. So I felt like I was just pitching out of necessity. I thought I could do it.
“I thought I had the capability to do it, but it just got to the point where the stuff really wasn’t performing. I went through a lot of tough outings to get to that realization, but overall I kind of knew surgery was the end goal. I was just hoping to make it through the season with good numbers and post.”
Gonsolin signed a two-year, $6.65 million contract extension in January 2023 to avoid arbitration. His deal included various incentives, which the right-hander reached last season by making 20 starts.
Is Tony Gonsolin returning in 2024?
At the time of last year’s operation to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, Gonsolin was projected to miss the entire 2024 season because of the prolonged recovery process.
However, he’s made steady progress throughout the year and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts left open the possibility of Gonsolin returning in 2024.
“I think it’s slightly open,” Roberts said of Gonsolin potentially pitching for the Dodgers this season.
“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.”
Should Gonsolin manage to make a return, it is expected to be in a bullpen role. That could still prove plenty valuable considering the uncertainty surrounding the Dodgers’ pitching staff at present time.
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