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.
Tony Gonsolin threw a 2-“inning” bullpen today. Dave Roberts said his velocity ticked up. — J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 19, 2022
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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