Any sort of literal relief from the Dodgers adding Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech back to the bullpen on Saturday was muted with the corresponding move of Tony Gonsolin landing on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort.
Gonsolin, who missed the entire 2024 season after Tommy John surgery in September 2023, has had an uneven return to the major league rotation this season, with a 5.00 ERA and 5.22 xERA in seven starts.
He allowed four home runs on May 30 against the Yankees, but battled back to remain in the game for six innings to earn the win. Gonsolin’s 24.2-percent strikeout rate is a bit higher than his 23.2-percent career rate, but his 11.5-percent walk rate is his highest since 2021 and well above his 8.9-percent career walk rate.
Gonsolin’s last start was Wednesday against, in which he allowed three runs (two earned) with six strikeouts and three walks in five innings in a loss to the Mets.
He was slated to start on Tuesday in San Diego, so those innings will need to be filled. Gonsolin’s injury likely also means an extended stay in the rotation for Justin Wrobleski, who replaced Landon Knack on the roster and started Friday.
Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki are all on the injured list, none of them particularly close to a return, having not yet progressed to even starting a rehab assignment. Emmet Sheehan starts Saturday in Triple-A and has been stretched out to three innings, but likely needs at least two more rehab starts, maybe three before getting activated from his own Tommy John surgery return.
The other short-term path for the Dodgers rotation involves basically what they already have.
With Nick Frasso recently moved to the bullpen in Oklahoma City, the only starting options available in Triple-A are Knack (who can’t return before June 21 unless replacing an injured player), Matt Sauer, and Bobby Miller.
The Dodgers have been resistant to move Ben Casparius into the rotation given his value as an incredibly effective bulk reliever, but perhaps with Yates and Kopech now back in the bullpen, a path for Casparius to start could be made.
The roster move of Gonsolin to the injured list was announced after Dave Roberts’ pregame media scrum on Saturday, so more information will come later. But no matter how you slice it, this is a huge blow and a further test to a Dodgers depth chart already stretched to its limits.