While Dodgers fans have been excited by the historic exploits of Shohei Ohtani, the concerns over the team’s starting pitching have persisted.
L.A. has dealt with injuries to its starting pitching all season long, but there may be hope on the horizon with the news that right-hander Tony Gonsolin could be available to pitch in the postseason.
Gonsolin has been out since August of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he has been very effective in his rehab appearances. “He’s been good, so we’ve just got to keep building him up,” Roberts told the media Saturday.
While working his way back to the majors, Gonsolin has been used as a starter and a reliever. Roberts said that flexibility could be a major asset in the playoffs.
“The great thing about Tony is that he’s done both, and I think they both have their own value,” Roberts said. “No. 1 is to get him right, get him built up, and then we’ll kind of assess where our staff is at, in its totality.”
In his most recent outing for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Gonsolin struck out six batters in three innings while allowing only one walk. It was his third and longest rehab appearance, as he threw 45 pitches and tallied as many strikeouts as he had in his first two games combined.
The Dodgers would like Gonsolin to rejoin the team in the final week of the regular season.
If he does, L.A. would add a former All-Star to their bullpen. In 2022, Gonsolin was 16-1 with a 2.14 earned run average before he slumped to 8-5 and a 4.98 ERA last season. In his five-year career, he has a 34-11 record (1-3 in the postseason).
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