Los Angeles Dodgers are facing a new blow to their starting rotation, as right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin was placed on the 15-day disabled list last Saturday due to discomfort in his elbow.
The situation was of immediate concern as Gonsolin underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and missed the entire 2024 season.
However, the results of the MRI were positive, as according to manager Dave Roberts, no damage was found to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL):
“The UCL is intact… which is great news,” Roberts said. “He’s going to stop pitching for a while, although I don’t know when he’ll be back. But the most important thing is that the UCL is fine.”
What happened to Tony Gonsolin?
Despite the positive diagnosis, there is no estimated date for his return. Roberts mentioned that the cause of the discomfort could be a combination of scar tissue and inflammation in the joint. “I think it’s probably all of that together. I don’t know if there was a specific incident or if it was just a buildup from the effort of pitching,”Roberts explained
When will Tony Gonsolin return to the lineup?
Gonsolin started the 2025 season on the injured list, not because of his previous surgery, but because of a back injury he suffered while lifting weights during spring training. This situation delayed his return until April 30. Since then, he has made seven starts, pitching 36 innings with a 5.00 ERA and 38 strikeouts.
His absence represents a further blow to the Dodgers, who have already lost seven other starters to various injuries. The team currently relies on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May and Clayton Kershaw as its only fit starters.
Gonsolin signed a one-year, $5.4 million contract to avoid arbitration, hoping to return to his 2022 All-Star form. In 2020, he won Baseball America’s Rookie of the Year award and was part of the World Series championship team. But since then, injuries have marked his career.
Although structural damage has been ruled out, Gonsolin will face another period of inactivity while the Dodgers continue to look for solutions in an increasingly limited rotation.
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