Dodgers Former Top Prospect Starting Pitchers Could Move to Bullpen

Two of the Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitchers may find themselves pitching out of the bullpen in 2025.

The Dodgers’ president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team’s schedule will allow them to start the season with a five-man rotation.

Los Angeles has an off-day every Thursday in April, which will let the Dodgers give starting pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki the amount of rest they are used to from their time in Japan.

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The schedule starts to become more hectic in May but by then, Shohei Ohtani will hopefully be able to join the rotation. Ohtani is expected to be healthy by April but the Dodgers have said they will not rush his return to the mound.

Yamamoto, Sasaki, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow are expected to make up the Dodgers’ rotation as they begin spring training. That leaves an open spot for either Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, or Bobby Miller in the rotation.

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“At this point, they’re both building up. They’re both viewing themselves, we’re viewing them, as starters,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “We’ll see how the rest of the spring plays out, which obviously is a long ways away. That’s really not impacted until Opening Day here, in the States, so we’ve got a lot of time.”

The Dodgers could place Gonsolin and May on the injured list at the beginning of the season to finish their rehab assignments. Both starting pitchers underwent surgeries that kept them on the sidelines for the entire 2024 season.

However, if Gonoslin or May do not make the rotation, they could serve in the bullpen.

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The pair of pitchers were two of the Dodgers' top prospects in 2019. May was the organization's No. 2 prospect, while Gonsolin was the No. 6 prospect. When he was healthy, May was more than a reliable piece of the Dodgers' rotation as he posted a 2.63 ERA in 2023.

May, Gonsolin, and Miller will continue to fight for the final spot in the rotation as the Dodgers begin spring training games on Feb. 20 against the Chicago Cubs.

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