Dodgers News: All-Star Might Not Rejoin Starting Rotation This Season

Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin has been sidelined for three weeks with a forearm injury

The Dodgers remain fortunate to be able to take their time with players returning from injury, but there has been a positive new trend. Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin looks on track for a near return despite the uncertainty of how much he will be used in the Dodgers postseason lineup.

Although Gonsolin's velocity still hasn't been at full intensity, reports have shown that Gonsolin is at least now heading in the right direction. Initial reports had Gonsolin missing a much shorter time than originally anticipated, but of course, that wasn't the case.

If Gonsolin continues to trend in the right direction, the hope is to have Gonsolin along with Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen return as early as the end of this week. 

But for Tony, the role and workload might look a little different than we've been used to.

“(He) continues to get better. As far as buildup, we're certainly not there yet. The plan is that he'll throw another bullpen Monday and the next progression of that would be to go out there and face hitters. So again, to expect him to be built up like he was before he went down is very unrealistic. So then the point is when we get further down the road, what do we have? So the number one thing is get them healthy, get them strong, and kind of see where we're at with that.”

It's no surprise the impact Gonsolin had for the Dodgers prior to going down with his injury. Gonsolin still sits tied for fourth in the league with a 16-1 record and a scorching ERA of 2.10. If eligible, Gonsolin would lead the NL in ERA. 

Thanks to the help of their strong pitching unit and ridiculous run support all season long, the Dodgers have remained patient with their biggest prize at the end of the season in mind. All would be wasted without a World Series championship.

The Dodgers were the first team to reach 100 wins, clinched the NL West division and clinched a first round bye all without Gonsolin. If this dominance was any indication, Gonsolin's eventual return to the lineup will only bolster an already stacked roster.

Please take your time Tony.