2 days Ago
MIAMI — The Dodgers are holding the door open to a potential postseason role for a player who is rehabbing from elbow surgery last September. And it’s not just Shohei Ohtani. Right-hander Tony Gonsolin has made two rehab starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City already and will make a third later this week.
After that, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said “there could be a conversation about him joining us – which, for me, I think would be fantastic.” Roberts said Gonsolin is “still a longshot” to figure into the Dodgers’ plans. But the Dodgers have become more open to all possibilities with recent injuries to Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone making the postseason pitching staff very unclear.
“The landscape has changed since we talked about Tony,” Roberts said. “So with that, it’s still a longer shot, but I’m really impressed that Tony has taken this really seriously as a potential opportunity. He’s gonna take another one, and we’ll see from there.
” Gonsolin threw 50 pitches in 22⁄3 innings in his most recent rehab start and will try to get through four innings in his next start. He could return as a starter or reliever. “The beautiful thing about Tony is he’ll do anything we ask,” Roberts said.
“He has pitched in both roles.” With their shortage of starting pitchers, it’s possible the Dodgers could resort to a bullpen game in a playoff series. Roberts said he “could see” Gonsolin pitching in a ‘bulk’ role in that situation.
“If that’s where we’re at, that’s what we’ll do,” Roberts said. “Whatever gives us the best chance to win a particular game is what we’re gonna do.” Veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw has not given up hope on pitching again this year even though the pain in his left big toe persists.
“It’s just a healing thing,” he said. “There’s no miracle insole or shoe that will heal it. But there are some things that will help and between that and time I still think there’s a shot, for sure.
” To stay as ready as possible, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has been throwing on flat ground, using a portable ramp to simulate a pitcher’s mound . Over the weekend, he threw off the mound in the bullpen and he will throw another bullpen session on Wednesday. “I’m just trying to throw a lot of pitches because I can’t go 100 percent intensity yet,” he said.
“So I’m hoping if I continue with the intensity part I won’t need much of a rehab stint if any.” Kershaw hasn’t pitched in a game since August 30 when he left after one inning due to the pain in his toe. During the series in Atlanta, Roberts dropped Freddie Freeman to fourth in the batting order in the two games started by left-handers (Chris Sale and Max Fried), putting two right-handed hitters (Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez) between the left-handers Shohei Ohtani and Freeman.
“It just makes it a little tougher for the opposing manager to navigate,” Roberts said. “It’s no secret that any team that’s going to try to beat us is going to stockpile some lefties to minimize Shohei and Freddie. That’s just a way that I can counter a little bit.
” Related Articles Opposing managers now have to decide whether to bring in a left-hander to face Ohtani, knowing he would have to face two right-handed hitters before also facing Freeman. Betts has not hit left-handers (a .308 batting average and an .
851 OPS) or right-handers (.292 and .902) much differently.
Hernandez, on the other hand, has been much better against lefties (.303 and .955) than righties (.
254 and .776). Freeman had not hit as low as fourth since the 2016 season with the Braves.
Roberts said it’s an alignment he might use in the postseason against lefty starters. “Doc and I talked after Friday night’s game more about going into the playoffs against left-handed starters to hit fourth so Mookie and Teo can get more at-bats against them,” Freeman said. “Obviously I was all for it.
Whatever we can do to win games. “I kinda like it. It puts them in a tough matchup because if they bring in a lefty for Shohei, that means Mookie and Teo have to face left-handed pitching.
It’s tougher matchups we’re trying to create throughout the course of a game to make it harder on managers.” Dodgers (RHP Landon Knack, 2-4, 3.70 ERA) at Marlins (TBA), Wednesday, 3:40 p.
m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM.
