The Los Angeles Dodgers spent a lot of money to shore up their biggest weakness from last season and, so far, it hasn’t really helped.
The Dodgers’ pitching staff limped its way to a World Series championship amid high-profile injuries to the likes of Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw and proceeded to sign Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and several veteran relievers to ensure they would stay healthier this year. Instead, they have more than a dozen pitchers on the injured list and are as desperate as ever for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to make it back to the mound.
Luckily for LA, Ohtani is making some strong progress toward that return. In the latest update, manager Dave Roberts indicated there’s now at least some chance he could take the bump before the All-Star break.
But that return might mean the team has to move on from one of their other arms. And FanSided’s Zach Pressnell believes that could be 2022 All-Star Tony Gonsolin.
“With Ohtani returning, Gonsolin (who’s currently on the injured list) could be on the hot seat,” Pressnell wrote. “The Dodgers may try to shift him to the bullpen, but there’s also a chance Los Angeles could use him in a trade if its pitching rotation can get healthy. Returning Ohtani is step one to getting fully healthy. It could also be step one to sending Gonsolin out the door this season.”
The Dodgers placed Gonsolin on the injured list earlier this month but have indicated he shouldn’t need season-ending surgery. Still, it’s hard to say what kind of trade return he might bring as he’s struggled on the mound even when healthy this season. Gonsolin has a 5.00 ERA in seven starts so far.
That performance has made him perhaps the least effective pitcher within the Dodgers’ star-studded rotation and it could mean he is the first hurler sent packing if the team needs to make room on the roster.
