Can Dodgers trust Tony Gonsolin after promising return amid piling rotation injuries?

On Wdnesday, Tony Gonsolin returned the mound for the first time since Aug. 18, 2023 to try and help the Dodgers wrap up their series against the Marlins with a sweep. Gonsolin underwent Tommy John just 10 days after his last start of the 2023 season and didn't return to a major league mound in 2024.

Although he completed a rehab assignment at the end of that year, which led to some speculation that the Dodgers would bring him back to help their depleted rotation during the postseason, they played it safe and delayed his return.

He experienced another setback during spring training this year, when he sustained a back injury that forced him to start the season on the 15-day IL, but his return to the mound on Wednesday couldn't have come at a better time.

With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow out indefinitely and the bullpen being overworked accordingly, Gonsolin gave them a much-needed respite when he went six innings. He gave up three runs, including a two-run homer, but he struck out nine and, maybe most importantly, didn't force the Dodgers to exhaust more arms prematurely.

But how much faith can the Dodgers put in Gonsolin when Dodgers pitchers continue to wither?

Tony Gonsolin's return must help Dodgers stay afloat amid injuries

The forearm inflammation that turned out to be an issue that necessitated Tommy John in 2023 wasn't Gonsolin's first major bout of injury. His inning numbers make him look a lot like Glasnow: 40 in 2019, 55 2/3 in 2021, 130 1/3 in 2022, and 103 1/3 in 2023. He's dealt with an ankle sprain, forearm strain, and shoulder inflammation in the majors, along with smaller issues in the minors.

So, while it's great for the Dodgers that Gonsolin is finally back, they're just adding another starter who needs to be treated carefully. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was out for almost three months last year, Roki Sasaki has had past concerns and still needs to get accustomed to MLB's typical five-day rest versus NPB's one-start-a-week rhythm, and Dustin May might be even more notoriously breakable than Glasnow or Gonsolin.

And it's clear that even though the Dodgers have been careful with giving all of their starters an extra day of rest, it's not doing much to prevent potential major injuries. We'll keep our fingers crossed for a clean bill of health throughout the rest of the season but, unfortunately, it wouldn't be completely shocking if Gonsolin does down again at some point.