Tony Gonsolin was expected to miss the entire 2024 season, but he has made significant progress that has opened the door for a return to the Los Angeles Dodgers this year.
Gonsolin underwent Tommy John surgery on Sept. 1, 2023, and just more than one year later, he’s already completed his third rehab start.
The right-hander pitched three innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, giving up no runs on no hits while striking out six and walking one. With another successful outing, his next one could come with the Dodgers.
“He’s been good, so we just got to keep building him up,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said prior to the rehab start. “And if this one goes well, then I think that a conversation with him joining us at some point is more tangible. But yeah, today’s a big one for Tony.”
Gonsolin is a candidate to make the Dodgers postseason roster despite not pitching at the Major League level this season. Roberts would like to see him get into a regular season game first, but added that may not play into their decision either way.
“I think it would be ideal, but not necessarily has to happen, and that’s for our kind of benefit, Tony’s benefit,” Roberts said. “But the most important thing is that we feel confident with his rehab.”
Gonsolin has now completed 7.2 innings over three games with OKC, giving up two runs on seven hits with 12 strikeouts and two walks. That amounts to a 2.35 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP.
While the numbers are highly encouraging, that’s not the only thing the Dodgers are looking for before they potentially bring him back.
“I think that I’ll talk to the guys and see how he looked tonight, how he felt,” Roberts said. “And then also, it’s got to be the need, what we need up here.
“But just make sure the stuff is good, the fastball, the split, the slider, the curveball, he feels good, and all that stuff as well.”
Tony Gonsolin’s postseason role
If Gonsolin does end up returning, his potential role is still unsettled.
Roberts previously shut the door on Gonsolin starting games this year, but he cracked it open prior to the rehab start.
“I think the great thing about Tony is that he’s done both,” Roberts said about Gonsolin pitching as a starter or reliever. “So I think it could be either or. And I think that they both kind of separately have their own value.
“Number one, just kind of get right, build up, and then we’ll kind of assess where our staff is at in totality.”
The most likely scenario is Gonsolin works as part of a piggyback option with another pitcher, such as Clayton Kershaw, to fill multiple innings while each of them are limited overall.
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