The Los Angeles Dodgers just lost another starting pitcher. Again.<\/p>\n
Right-hander Tony Gonsolin, who was amid a return from Tommy John surgery, has landed back on the 15-day injured list with elbow discomfort.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s his surgically repaired right arm, and while the team is calling it precautionary, manager Dave Roberts didn\u2019t sugarcoat the situation telling the Los Angeles Times: \u201cWith a pitcher, when there\u2019s elbow discomfort\u2026 it just seemed like the logical thing to get him offline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Logical, sure\u2014but manageable? That\u2019s a different question.<\/p>\n
Gonsolin, who last pitched on Wednesday against the Mets, giving up two runs over five innings, had only made seven starts this year.<\/span><\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t dominant, carrying a 5.00 ERA and 5.97 FIP, but he was one of the last semi-reliable bodies standing in a Dodgers rotation that has become a medical ward.<\/span><\/p>\n Gonsolin\u2019s latest setback now makes it eight Dodgers starters currently on the IL. That includes big-name arms like Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani (still limited to DH duties). The depth Andrew Friedman built has already been stretched to its limit\u2014and now it might finally break.<\/p>\n The 2025 Dodgers have managed to stay afloat in the NL West, entering Saturday barely ahead of the Padres and Giants. But the margin is shrinking, and so is the front office\u2019s wiggle room.<\/span><\/p>\n Friedman has historically preferred not to overpay at the trade deadline, relying instead on internal options or buy-low acquisitions. That strategy worked in 2024 when the Dodgers stitched together a rotation just good enough to win a World Series behind a resurgent\u00a0Walker Buehler and a dominant bullpen.<\/p>\n This year, it\u2019s different. The bullpen leads the majors in innings pitched. Rookies and swingmen like\u00a0Justin Wrobleski\u00a0and\u00a0Ben Casparius\u00a0are\u00a0being shoved\u00a0into starting roles. Even with\u00a0Michael Kopech\u00a0and\u00a0Kirby Yates\u00a0returning to the pen, the stress load is unsustainable\u2014especially if the offense doesn\u2019t carry its weight.<\/p>\n Internally, there\u2019s still hope. Ohtani might pitch again late this season. Kershaw is back. Dustin May is holding up\u2014for now. But Gonsolin\u2019s elbow flaring up this quickly after returning from Tommy John throws a major wrench in any wait-and-see approach.<\/span><\/p>\n It also is perfect timing for rival teams circling the Dodgers. As July approaches, the pitching market is thin, and buyers are desperate. The Orioles, Braves, and Yankees are all reportedly in the mix for frontline arms. The Dodgers might now have to jump into that bidding war earlier than they\u2019d like.<\/span><\/p>\n If they don\u2019t, they\u2019re risking a burnout scenario. A bullpen game every fifth day in July? That\u2019s not a championship formula.<\/span><\/p>\n This setback may force L.A. to reverse course\u2014not just in philosophy but in posture. Instead of hunting for upside arms like they did with Lance Lynn and Ryan Yarbrough in past years, they might need to swing big. Think\u00a0Shane Bieber,\u00a0Jes\u00fas Luzardo, or even a reunion with\u00a0Walker Buehler\u00a0if Boston\u2019s season keeps unraveling.<\/p>\n The Dodgers aren\u2019t just contenders\u2014they\u2019re defending champions with a target on their backs and a roster built to win now. But their rotation ERA ranks 23rd in baseball, and their FIP is 28th. Those are not numbers you can \u201cdepth\u201d your way out of.<\/span><\/p>\n Tony Gonsolin isn\u2019t the ace of this staff, but his absence might be what finally pushes Friedman to do something he hates: pay full price at the trade deadline.<\/span><\/p>\n And if the Dodgers want to defend their title, he may have no other choice.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Los Angeles Dodgers just lost another starting pitcher. Again. Right-hander Tony Gonsolin, who was amid a return from Tommy John surgery, has landed back on the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Dodgers Can\u2019t Keep Spackling Over These Cracks<\/span><\/h2>\n
Gonsolin\u2019s Setback Might Force Friedman\u2019s Hand<\/span><\/h2>\n
Could Gonsolin\u2019s Injury Shift the Dodgers\u2019 Entire Deadline Plan?<\/span><\/h2>\n