The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed back Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech on Saturday but lost Tony Gonsolin to the 15-day injured list because of right elbow inflammation.
It marked a disappointing development for Gonsolin, who was in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. He became the 14th pitcher currently on the Dodgers’ injured list.
And given Gonsolin’s injury history including Tommy John surgery, any elbow trouble is comes with added cause for concern.
Gonsolin is expected to have his elbow examined at some point in the near future and manager Dave Roberts said for the time being he’s going to be shut down from throwing, as seen on SportsNet LA
“He just had some elbow discomfort, and obviously with a pitcher, when there’s elbow discomfort, we didn’t see him making his next start. So it seemed like the logical thing, given where the pitching is at, a guy who’s not going to make his next start, to get him offline. Give him a handful of days to not play catch, hopefully that pain, discomfort, subsides. Get him throwing again and see where that takes us.”
Gonsolin made a push to potentially return at the end of last season and be a factor for the Dodgers in the playoffs given their shortage of starters. However, a decision was made to instead shift his focus to 2025.
Despite the delayed timeline and having a full Spring Training, the right-hander began the season on the injured list because of minor back trouble that stemmed from a workout late in camp.
Gonsolin went 3-2 with 5.00 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in seven starts. Gonsolin had trouble with command during his starts, often issuing too many walks and allowing an abundance of home runs, especially in the first inning.
Dodgers rotation without Tony Gonsolin
Gonsolin going on the injured list leaves the Dodgers short on starters.
Justin Wrobleski was recalled to make a start in the series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, and he’s expected to take the mound again in the finale at Petco Park. The Dodgers are expected to use a bullpen game against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.
Their starting rotation currently comprises of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw and Wrobleski.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
