The Los Angeles Dodgers went one month needing to utilize bullpen games in the wake of Dustin May requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery, but they will have a full starting rotation next week once Tony Gonsolin is reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
Gonsolin completed a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday night, pitching 3.2 innings, which was short of the goal but due to what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained was a “little stomach thing.”
Overall, Gonsolin threw 10.1 innings across three rehab starts for Oklahoma City. He allowed four runs on six hits (two home runs) and collected nine strikeouts. Gonsolin’s outing with the Dodgers next week will mark his 2021 debut.
“He’ll be starting Tuesday or Wednesday — he’ll have an extra day,” Roberts said.
Should the Dodgers indeed plan on giving Gonsolin an extra day of rest before his start, that lines up the right-hander to take the mound Wednesday in the middle game of a series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Two roster moves will be required in order to activate Gonsolin. The first being with the 40-man due to 27-year-old being on the 60-day IL, and the second coming in order to get him added to the group of active players.
Gonsolin was put on the 10-day IL due to right shoulder inflammation during the first week of the regular season and transferred to the 60-day when the Dodgers made the signing of Albert Pujols official.
The paper move didn’t have much bearing on Gonsolin’s timetable for a return as he still needed to complete a buildup process through a rehab assignment. All it effectively changed was he could not be activated until May 31.
Dodgers waiting on Graterol
Gonsolin returning will put the Dodgers even closer to full strength, coming days after the club reinstated Jimmy Nelson and AJ Pollock off the IL. Another reinforcement may not be far behind as Brusdar Graterol was activated off the IL and optioned to Oklahoma City on Friday night.
“Brusdar was good,” Roberts said of Graterol’s appearance on Thursday.
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 more!
