Gonsolin to IL, 'unlikely' to pitch again this season

LOS ANGELES -- After struggling to the tune of 10 earned runs and five homers allowed on Friday, Tony Gonsolin is heading to the 15-day injured list with right forearm inflammation, and there’s a chance his season could be over.

The Dodgers announced the move prior to their 3-1 win in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Marlins, with left-hander Bryan Hudson recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Gonsolin’s roster spot. Manager Dave Roberts said he expects Gonsolin to need more than the minimum time out, and that it’s “unlikely” he pitches for L.A. again in 2023.

Roberts said that Gonsolin has been dealing with the injury for about six weeks and that the Dodgers felt continuing to pitch would not make the injury worse. Gonsolin will get imaging on his elbow later this week, which will help determine his next steps. Gonsolin missed nearly a month in 2022 with a right forearm strain.

“I think that all pitchers have something going on with their arms and elbows, with the mileage,” said Roberts. “We were all aligned as far as it made sense for us to continue to give him the baseball. But right now, we just feel where we're at, the IL is the best course of action.”

It’s been a tough year overall for Gonsolin, who was coming off his first career All-Star Game selection in 2022. Through his first four Major League seasons, Gonsolin had excelled with a 2.51 ERA and a 166 ERA+. But things got off to an ominous start for him in ’23, when he sustained a left ankle sprain during Spring Training, delaying his regular-season debut by nearly a month.

Once he returned to the mound, Gonsolin started off strong, posting a 1.93 ERA through his first nine games. The nine starts that followed -- which would align with the period in which Gonsolin began experiencing the elbow issue -- were a different story. In that span, he had a 6.89 ERA. And though he bought himself a little more time with a quality start against the Rockies on Aug. 12, Friday’s performance was the final straw.

Part of why Gonsolin kept going out there despite not being “100 percent” is the fact that the Dodgers have struggled with having enough available rotation arms. They’re in better shape now, thanks in part to the role Gonsolin played in providing them with innings even while he was ailing.

“I do commend him wholeheartedly,” said Roberts. “I think he's continued to gain the respect of the guys in the clubhouse and never made an excuse.”

As for what happens to Gonsolin’s rotation spot, that remains to be decided. Right-hander Ryan Pepiot, who was slated to be part of the season-opening rotation before sustaining a left oblique strain, joined the Dodgers as the 27th man for Saturday’s doubleheader for his 2023 debut. Pepiot served as the bulk pitcher in Game 1, allowing one run on three hits and a walk in five innings while striking out five -- a solid audition to fill the vacancy.

“Certainly, the way he threw the baseball speaks to him getting another opportunity or opportunities, and I just don't know right now how that's going to look for the next couple of weeks,” Roberts said of Pepiot.

Asked if he would like to do this for the Dodgers again in five or six days, Pepiot said: “If that's where the opportunity arises, absolutely. Wherever I throw, wherever they tell me to go, I'll be ready for it.”

Roberts also cited right-hander Gavin Stone as being in the mix. Stone struggled with a 12.75 ERA in four MLB games, but he’s fared better at Triple-A and has posted a 2.77 ERA over his last five starts.

Another candidate is Ryan Yarbrough. The lefty has pitched exclusively in relief since joining the Dodgers at the Trade Deadline, including two perfect innings in Game 1 on Saturday. But he’s also worked as a starter throughout his MLB career. His most recent start was a seven-inning, one-run performance against the Twins on July 30, his final appearance for the Royals.

“Acquiring him protected us against downside, something like this,” Roberts said of Yarbrough. “But as we've seen, his ability to pitch a couple times a week, shorten games, save the ’pen, has proved valuable. So you could argue [in favor of] that, versus pitching every five or six days.”