Tony Gonsolin of the Dodgers takes first steps after Tommy John surgery, door not yet closed for return

The Los Angeles Dodgers have not completely ruled out a return for pitcher Tony Gonsolin this year. He has missed the entire season so far while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Gonsolin has now faced hitters three times recently, including on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

Gonsolin still needs to complete more batting practice before he can potentially begin rehab, but according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, a return is still a possibility.

Gonsolin started most of the 2023 season, but was placed on the injured list in August due to inflammation in his forearm. Later that month, the team announced he would undergo Tommy John surgery, which would likely keep him out of action for the remainder of the 2023 season, as well as the 2024 season.

Although he played for the majority of 2023, Gonsolin battled his arm injury throughout the season. This affected his pitching, as Gonsolin posted a 4.93 ERA in 20 starts, the worst of his career. In his last start on August 18, 2023, Gonsolin allowed 10 earned runs, five home runs, and four walks in 3.1 innings.

This was a far cry from his start to the year, when he allowed zero earned runs in four of his first five starts.

Before that arm injury, Gonsolin was one of the team’s best pitchers, posting an ERA under 3.00 in three of his first four seasons and having a phenomenal 2022 season, making his first All-Star team.

In 2022, Gonsolin started 24 games and went 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 119 strikeouts. In his final five starts this season, Gonsolin did not allow more than one earned run in a start.

In addition to Gonsolin, the Dodgers have also struggled with several long-term injuries to their starting pitchers this season. Walker Buehler, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dustin May have all missed significant time. Ace Tyler Glasnow was recently placed on the injured list for the second time and River Ryan is expected to miss significant time as he undergoes Tommy John surgery.

Even with a regularly changing rotation, the Dodgers hold the best record in the National League at 77-53.

Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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