For a large portion of the season, Los Angeles Dodgers‘ starter Tony Gonsolin looked like a legitimate Cy Young pitcher in the National League.
In fact, at one point, we were talking about who deserved the award more, him or Miami Marlins’ star Sandy Alcantara.
But he got hurt, and his Cy Young chances went with him.
He was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain in late August, and hasn’t returned since.
He is, however, inching closer to making it back before the end of the regular season, according to recent reports.
“Tony Gonsolin is pitching tonight in a rehab outing for Triple-A Oklahoma City. He will take the mound today with OKC just one loss or El Paso win away from playoff elimination, in which case their season ends tomorrow. One rehab start will likely be all for Gonsolin,” Bruce K, a Dodgers insider known on Twitter for his username @BNicklaus7, wrote.
Tony Gonsolin is pitching tonight in a rehab outing for Triple-A Oklahoma City. He will take the mound today with OKC just one loss or El Paso win away from playoff elimination, in which case their season ends tomorrow. One rehab start will likely be all for Gonsolin. #AlwaysLA
— Bruce K (@Bnicklaus7) September 27, 2022
Gonsolin Could Return As A Reliever
With Andrew Heaney, Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Dustin May, and Tyler Anderson all healthy, there might not be a spot for Gonsolin in the rotation.
He will likely return as a bullpen piece if he makes it back.
The season he has had has been, so far, the best of his career.
After years of injuries and inconsistencies, Gonsolin finally put it all together.
In 23 games and 128.1 innings pitched, he has an amazing 16-1 record, a 2.10 ERA, 116 strikeouts, and a 0.86 WHIP.
If he is able to return to 100 percent effectiveness, he will be a huge piece for the Dodgers in any role as they try to win their second World Series ring in three years.
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