Blake Snell injury leaves Dodgers fans questioning Tony Gonsolin's recovery timeline

Blake Snell getting hurt out of nowhere - and after just two starts on the season - definitely wasn't a part of the Dodgers' plans, but he went onto the 15-day IL on Sunday with shoulder inflammation to deal a huge blow to the rotation.

Snell had wanted to be a workhorse for the Dodgers this year, but he (like pretty much all of them) has a history of being injury-prone. The team called up reliever Matt Sauer to take Snell's place on the IL, which means we'll be seeing a handful of bullpen games until Snell's timeline to return becomes clearer.

The Dodgers have more than enough depth to stage bullpen games for a little while, but they also notably declined to bring Tony Gonsolin, the clearest-cut option to join the rotation, back when they opted for Sauer instead. Gonsolin started the season on the IL with back tightness, delaying his return to the mound after his last start in August 2023. That gave Dustin May the last spot in the rotation instead.

Gonsolin threw his first rehab start in Triple-A last week, going 1 2/3 innings and allowing just one hit and two walks, but fans have to wonder how long the Dodgers will keep him there.

Dodgers keep Tony Gonsolin in Triple-A despite spot opening in the rotation due to Blake Snell's injury

It makes sense that the Dodgers would want to exercise caution with Gonsolin who, again, hasn't pitched in the majors in a year and a half, and they have enough pitching depth to hold him in Triple-A until they feel he's absolutely ready. Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski are prime starter/long relief options who were optioned at the beginning of the season.

But it's clear that Gonsolin would be the Dodgers' ideal option here. He dealt with a myriad of injuries before undergoing Tommy John in 2023 and has only ever pitched as much as 130 1/3 innings in 2022, but he's showed signs of brilliance that he hasn't gotten the opportunity to fully tap into. He picked up his first All-Star nod in 2022 after pitching to a 2.02 ERA in the first half.

So the Dodgers probably don't want to jump the gun and bring Gonsolin back before he's ready. He's on the right track to return so far, but we should expect to see him get a couple more appearances in Triple-A before they bring him back up.