Tony Gonsolin was in the middle of a disappointing 2023 season when it was revealed he had a right elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
All the Dodgers had disclosed prior to that point was Gonsolin had been pitching through right elbow discomfort for six weeks. Gonsolin said at the time he felt the need to continue making starts due to the Los Angeles Dodgers dealing with a rash of injuries.
Gonsolin was in the first of a two-year, $6.65 million contract extension he had signed before the 2023 season to avoid arbitration. The deal included various performance bonuses for starts, which he reached to add $2 million to his 2024 salary.
“I think it was more of a mutual thing, because he had a contract that was set up where he was rewarded financially for it, knowing he was going to miss the next year,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman recently said of Gonsolin’s contract situation.
“So it was more of a mutual benefit.”
Gonsolin wound up earning $5.4 million in 2024 despite missing the entire season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He will make the same salary in 2025 after signing a one-year contract to avoid arbitration for the second time.
Tony Gonsolin provides boost
Gonsolin opened the 2025 season on the 15-day injured list after tweaking his back while lifting weights during Spring Training.
He completed a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City and joined the Dodgers’ rotation last week, ironically again with the team in need of healthy starters.
Gonsolin fared well through six innings against the Miami Marlins and now faces them for a second outing in a row.
“I just have a lot of confidence in Tony. I have confidence in his preparation, his experience, his heartbeat and his ability to execute many pitches,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said last week.
“That’s exactly what he did today. It’s a team that swings the bat aggressively, and I just felt with his mix, he should be able to get some strikeouts and quick outs. That’s what we’ve been looking for, that consistency from a starter like that.”
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!
