The Los Angeles Dodgers’ already injury-tested pitching staff has taken another hit. Right-hander Tony Gonsolin underwent elbow surgery Tuesday and will miss the remainder of the 2025 season — as well as a significant portion of 2026 — president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman announced.
The procedure, described by Friedman as “a Tommy John revision with a flexor cleanup,” was an internal brace and flexor repair rather than a full second Tommy John surgery. According to Friedman, the recovery timeline is estimated at eight to ten months.
“It’s not the news we were hoping for,” Friedman told reporters, including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. “But given the circumstances, we think this procedure gives him the best chance to get back and be healthy long-term.”
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For Gonsolin, the surgery marks the latest chapter in a frustrating stretch. He has been on the 60-day injured list since mid-June, and while a return this year already seemed unlikely, Tuesday’s announcement officially closes the door.
This is Gonsolin’s second major elbow surgery in as many years. He underwent Tommy John surgery toward the end of the 2023 season, which wiped out his 2024 campaign entirely. The right-hander entered 2025 with a spot in the rotation but injured his back in spring training, delaying his debut until late April.
He made just seven starts before landing back on the IL, posting a 3-2 record with a 5.00 ERA. While his velocity was close to his 2022 peak, when he went 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA over 130 1/3 innings, his command wavered. His walk rate climbed to 11.5%, and opposing hitters produced a 44.9% hard-hit rate.
From Breakout to Question Mark
At his best, Gonsolin was a model of run prevention. Between 2019 and 2022, he pitched to a 2.51 ERA across 272 2/3 innings. But beneath the surface, metrics like SIERA (4.04 over that span) and pitch modeling grades suggested his arsenal and command were closer to league average. His early-career success often outpaced the underlying numbers, and durability has been a persistent issue — with stints on the IL for ribcage, shoulder, forearm, and ankle injuries even before his elbow problems.
That history complicates expectations for his future. When he returns — likely sometime in mid-2026 — Gonsolin will be 32 years old and still searching for his first uninterrupted, fully healthy season.
Where the Dodgers Stand Without Him
Losing Gonsolin is another blow to the Dodgers’ depth, but their current rotation is already crowded. Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw, and Emmet Sheehan make up the present six-man group. Sheehan, who might have been Gonsolin’s most likely replacement, has pitched well with a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings. Rookie Roki Sasaki is also expected back from a shoulder injury by early September.
While Gonsolin’s absence won’t alter the Dodgers’ immediate rotation plans, the longer-term question looms: Can he return from two major elbow surgeries and regain the form that once made him one of baseball’s most efficient starters?
For now, the answer won’t come until well into 2026 — if at all.