Dodgers Reportedly Calling Up Gavin Stone, Number 4 Prospect

According to a report, the Dodgers are set to call up pitching prospect Gavin Stone this week, he would start on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. Stone is the number 4 ranked Dodger in the farm system and is listed at number 49 in all of baseball according to MLB pipeline.

MLB.com’s Juan Toribio was the first to report the news.

As Toribio mentions in his tweet, Stone has been on a roll after a rough first start at Triple-A this season. In 5 starts since giving up 6 runs on opening day at AAA, the 24-year-old has a 2.86 ERA and is coming off a dominant 8 strikeout game on Thursday.

Stone made a strong impression with the Dodgers during spring training, tossing 6.2 scoreless innings over 4 games while striking out an impressive 14 batters. He was the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year last year.

Why Are the Dodgers Calling Up Gavin Stone?

That is a good question. Or rather, the better question is why are the Dodgers calling up Gavin Stone now? The argument could be made that inserting Stone for a spot start to give the rest of the starting rotation an extra day off as we head into the second month of the season. However, that would make more sense to happen on Tuesday when Julio Urias is slated to take his next turn in the rotation.

Of course, Urias is the bona fide workhorse of the staff, recent results aside. Beyond Urias, the rest of the rotation is likely operating under some sort of soft restrictions in terms of innings totals in 2023.

Dustin May is pitching consistently for the first time since coming back from Tommy John surgery. He’s also never pitched more than 141-ish innings in a season, and the last time he did that, he was 21 in 2019 (between the majors and the minors).

Clayton Kershaw, as great as he is, is not expected to make 30 starts and pitch 180+ innings in 2023. He’s just not. Whether it’s the Dodgers putting a governor on him or an injury sidelining him for the 8th straight year, Kersh will need a game or two off here and there we’ll say.

Noah Syndergaard and Tony Gonsolin both only threw around 130 innings last year. So Stone offers at least a bit of coverage.

Why Stone And Not Bobby Miller or Ryan Pepiot?

Gavin Stone is the healthiest starting pitcher available in the Dodgers’ farm system at the moment. Thankfully, he also just so happens to be good. As for Bobby Miller and Ryan Pepiot, Miller just made his first start of his season on Saturday night (and was impressive). He’d been on a slow throwing progression after reporting to spring training with soreness in his right shoulder.

So he’s a little ways away from being an option.

On Pepiot, an oblique injury has kept him sidelined since days before opening night in LA. He was initially slated to be LA’s number 5 starter but instead hit the injured list and was recently transferred to the 60-day IL meaning he couldn’t return until June at the earliest. He is currently not throwing.

Michael Grove opened the season in the rotation but a groin injury suffered last week is expected to keep him out until about mid-May.

With the Dodgers coming off a stretch of 19 games in 20 days, it seems likely that we just see Stone for one start for now.