Tony Gonsolin is back after missing 6 weeks

Oct 3, 2022 - 10:36 PM

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It was considerably longer than missing just two starts, but Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin was activated off the injured list to start on Monday, making one final push to stretch out before the postseason.

Gonsolin last pitched on August 23, missing just shy of six weeks with a right forearm strain. He’s only expected to pitch three innings or so against the Rockies, having only pitched in one minor league rehab appearance, throwing two scoreless innings last Tuesday for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The time off interrupted a dream season for Gonsolin, who made his first All-Star team while going 16-1 in 23 starts. His 2.10 ERA led the National League when he landed on the injured list, but no longer has enough innings to qualify.

Now the hope is to continue to build up arm strength to be able to provide some semblance of length during the postseason. Given that the Dodgers have five days off between the end of the regular season and their first playoff game, and that Gonsolin wouldn’t pitch until Game 3 or (more likely) Game 4 of the NLDS, there’s still time for him to pitch a simulated game in between now and then to stretch out even further.

But more importantly is how Gonsolin looks on the mound and how much rust he’ll have after missing six weeks.

To make room for Gonsolin, the Dodgers optioned pitcher Andre Jackson to the Arizona Complex League. Jackson pitched four innings in relief on Sunday. In four games in the majors, all in September, the right-hander had a 1.86 ERA with nine strikeouts and four walks in 9⅔ innings.