Every time the starting pitching staff of the Los Angeles Dodgers takes a step forward, it seems to take a step back not long after.
This is obviously the case for many MLB clubs over the course of a grueling 162-game season. However, for the Dodgers, it feels like it’s been a long time since they’ve had a starting five at full power.
For years, many fans envisioned a rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin into the foreseeable future. Right now, there’s a chance that these five players may never appear on the same active roster again.
Righty veteran Lance Lynn has been huge for Los Angeles so far since arriving in a trade from the White Sox. During his time with the Dodgers, the 6-foot-5 Indianapolis native has gone 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP over four starts and 25 innings pitched. All this after putting up a 6.44 ERA and a 1.462 WHIP in 21 starts for the White Sox.
I was among the large group of fans to criticize front-office boss Andrew Friedman and his crew for what seemed to be such a senseless trade at the time. Maybe the old baseball adage talking about a change of scenery is true. Still, there’s about a quarter of the season remaining, meaning there are plenty of ways Lynn’s whole 2023 narrative can play out.
Gonsolin Unlikely to Return in 2023
Just when Lynn and the Dodgers seemed to be approaching full power, the team was dealt a huge blow when finding out Gonsolin is unlikely to return this season after his new bout with right forearm inflammation. By no means was Gonsolin throwing lights out this year — his 4.98 ERA in 2023 was more than double his 2.14 mark last season — but there always seemed to be a glimmer of hope the 29-year-old California native would hit his stride at some point.
Manager Dave Roberts said that Gonsolin had been dealing with the injury for about six weeks. At the time, the team felt continuing to pitch would not make the issue worse. Gonsolin will undergo an imaging procedure on his elbow later this week, to determine his next steps regarding treatment.
Other Rotation Options
Of course, there are plenty of possibilities to replace Gonsolin in the rotation, but none of them are as attractive as snagging a top-of-the-line arm from the outside, an opportunity the club passed on at this summer’s trade deadline.
Young righty Ryan Pepiot, who has been spectacular at Triple-A Oklahoma City since returning from an oblique injury — was called up as the 27th man for Sunday’s doubleheader and could remain with the team permanently as the fifth starter if he proves effective. Gavin Stone hasn’t had nearly as much success in the majors as he’s had on the farm, but he also remains available should the club require additional depth.
Swing man Ryan Yarbrough has been fantastic for the Dodgers since coming from Kansas City, producing a 1.46 ERA and an insane 0.405 WHIP over four solid appearances. In a perfect world, the 31-year-old southpaw fills the role as the team’s long man, but he should be able to fill in admirably as a starter, should the team need another rotation arm.
It will probably take the Dodgers another month just to see how good of a rotation of Kershaw, Urias, Lynn and Bobby Miller actually is. It’s not about potential and skill at this point as much as it is staying healthy and hitting a peak by the time the postseason arrives.
In the meantime, Walker Buehler continues to face batters in repeated simulated game settings.