Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Tony Gonsolin Takes Next Step in Return to Roster

Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin has been on the injured list for the last three weeks, and manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend it’s unlikely Gonsolin will be built up enough for a full starting role in October. But while his postseason role is up in the air, Gonsolin is continuing to progress towards a return to the active roster.

There’s not much more information than that, but this is almost certainly a “very little news is good news” situation. Over the weekend, reports were that Gonsolin wasn’t at “full intensity” yet, but it’s not clear whether this “tick up” in velocity on Monday gets him all the way to that full intensity level.

With Gonsolin not likely to be ready to start in October, the Dodgers rotation still has some question marks. Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw are locks for the playoff rotation (assuming health), and Dustin May made a huge push with five no-hit innings on Friday in San Francisco. Tyler Anderson has definitely earned a prominent role on the pitching staff, but his flexibility might make him an option for a long-relief or piggyback role. And then there’s Andrew Heaney, who has had a home run problem lately but is dominant when the ball isn’t going over the wall. If Gonsolin is healthy, the Dodgers have six starters for four spots in October, a very good problem to have.

All of that is contingent on Gonsolin being healthy, though, so a successful bullpen session is excellent news. With just 17 games left in the regular season, getting Gonsolin back soon is essential to his chances of contributing in a meaningful way in October.

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Jeff Snider

Jeff was born into a Dodgers family in Southern California and is now raising a Dodgers family of his own in Utah. During his previous career as an executive at a technology company, he began writing about baseball in his spare time. After leaving corporate America in 2014, he started doing it professionally. Jeff wrote and edited for Baseball Essential for years before joining Dodgers Nation. He's also the co-host of the Locked On Dodgers podcast, a daily podcast that brings the smart fan's perspective on our Boys in Blue. Jeff has a degree in English from Brigham Young University. Favorite Player: Clayton Kershaw Favorite Moment: Kirk Gibson's homer will always have a place, but Kershaw's homer on Opening Day 2013 might be the winner.

One Comment

  1. Heaney with a history of giving up the long ball and doing it again recently is a scary choice in the playoffs. I can see the first playoff series being Urias, Kershaw and Anderson as the first three. With May as a possibility for a fourth. Gonsolin if healthy is a good spot guy with his splitter. Kahnle is looking good. May be a game changer.

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