Los Angeles Dodgers Send Highly-Regarded Prospect Back to Triple-A

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Gavin Stone is headed back to Triple-A after struggling at the big league level. The team appears committed to using rookie Bobby Miller in the starting rotation.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have optioned rookie pitcher Gavin Stone back to Triple-A.

The writing was essentially on the wall after we heard Monday that the team would be continuing to use rookie Bobby Miller in the rotation.

Kyle Glaser of Baseball America had the information on Twitter on Tuesday:

The Dodgers have optioned Gavin Stone back to Triple-A and recalled lefthander Alex Vesia.

Stone got hit hard in his first three big league starts: 10 IP, 23 H, 16 ER, 7 BB, 5 K. He'll head back to OKC to work on things.

The Dodgers have optioned Gavin Stone back to Triple-A and recalled lefthander Alex Vesia.

Stone got hit hard in his first three big league starts: 10 IP, 23 H, 16 ER, 7 BB, 5 K. He'll head back to OKC to work on things.

— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) May 30, 2023

He is currently the No. 4 ranked prospect in the organization, per MLB.com. Here's more from his MLB.com prospect profile:

Stone led Central Arkansas with six saves as a sophomore in 2019 before moving to the rotation, where he authored a 13-strikeout no-hitter against Southeastern Louisiana in his fourth and final start of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Though he didn't get a lot of scouting exposure, the Dodgers made him the highest-drafted pitcher in school history, selecting him in the fifth round with the penultimate pick in the truncated Draft. His stuff has made a huge leap since he signed for a well below-slot $97,500, and he ranked first in the Minors in ERA (1.48) and fifth in strikeout rate (12.4 per nine innings) in 2022.

Stone barely used a fading changeup in college but he now has a harder, mid-80s cambio with devastating tumble, a plus-plus pitch that he threw more than his four-seam fastball in 2022. After averaging 92 mph with his heater at Central Arkansas, he now sits at 94-96 mph and peaks at 98, and his low release point creates plenty of induced vertical break. He also has scrapped a downer curveball and developed a solid slider that showed improved shape while parking in the mid-80s last season.

Vesia is 0-2 this season with a 7.84 ERA.

The Dodgers will take on the Nationals on Tuesday at 10:10 p.m. ET.

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