The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Tony Gonsolin, reinstated Jedd Gyorkor from the 60-day injured list and optioned Josh Sborz and Edwin Rios to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday. Gonsolin starts in the series finale against the Atlanta Braves, while Gyorko is expected to make his Dodgers debut.
Clayton Kershaw was initially scheduled for Sunday’s start, but when he and Dustin May were swapped in the rotation, it left the rookie on track to take the mound at SunTrust Park. Although it could be argued gamesmanship was a factor in the decision, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts asserted the club simply looked to do what was best for Kershaw.
While May was in line to start against the Braves, it became known on Friday that he instead would pitch out of the bullpen. Roberts then named Gonsolin the starter the following day.
Sunday’s game is Gonsolin’s fourth with the Dodgers, and third start. He’s 1-1 with one save, a 3.21 ERA, 2.50 FIP and 0.86 WHIP. Gonsolin last pitched on Monday for Oklahoma City in an outing that saw him go five shutout innings with nine strikeouts. He additionally helped his cause with an RBI double.
While Gonsolin is making another start, he’s believed to be a candidate for a spot in the Dodgers’ postseason bullpen. So too is May, which explains his forthcoming first opportunity to pitch in relief.
Gyorko is on the active roster after completing a rehab assignment that saw him spend time with Double-A Tulsa (two games) and Triple-A Oklahoma City (seven). He went a combined 9-for-27 with one double, two home runs, seven RBI and four walks.
After suffering back and calf injuries and also undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur from his right wrist, the 30-year-old deemed himself fully healthy prior to beginning the rehab assignment.
Thus it was a matter of shaking off rust, and Gyorko estimated he would need 10 days’ worth of games to find his rhythm. He was limited to just 38 games with the St. Louis Cardinals this year.
Gyorko began the season on the 10-day injured list due to a right calf strain, then was sidelined June 8 because of a lower back strain. He suffered a left calf strain while on rehab assignment and used that opportunity to remove the bone spur that had bothered him for multiple years.
The Cardinals transferred Gyorko to the 60-day IL on July 30. “The back just tightened up during one game. I was fine the very next day,” he recently explained. “I guess they had a roster decision they had to make and it just kind of built up from there.
“I was about to come back and my calf flared up, so when that happened I had my wrist fixed while I was at it. Kind of restarted and now everything is feeling really good. Looking back, it sucked, but now I’m happy with the decision I made.”
Sborz returns to Oklahoma City a mere two days after being recalled. He took the place of JT Chargois, who had endured recent struggles.
Sborz did not appear in either of the Dodgers’ first two games against the Braves. Sborz first joined the Dodgers in April but didn’t make his MLB debut until joining the team in June.
The 25-year-old has allowed a combined six runs on six hits, including one home run in three innings pitched across two appearances for the Dodgers. He is 4-3 with a 4.27 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 41 games with Oklahoma City this season. Sborz was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
Rios has hit .286/.419/.571 with two doubles, two home runs and four RBI over 17 games with the Dodgers. He became the team’s 17th player this season with a multi-homer game and joined Alex Verdugo and Will Smith as Dodgers rookies to do so.
