Dodgers News: Tony Gonsolin Comes Out of Rehab Outing Well

Tony Gonsolin, out of the Dodgers rotation the past month with a forearm strain, made his first and only rehab start last night and could rejoin L.A. soon.

Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin, on the injured list the past month with a right forearm strain, made his first rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. With OKC's season ending, it's also Gonsolin's only real rehab start.

So how did it go? As Bill Plunkett reports in the Orange County Register, it went as well as the Dodgers could have hoped.

Pitching in a game for the first time since Aug. 23, right-hander Tony Gonsolin allowed a single to the first batter he faced in a rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, got a double play then struck out two of the next four batters he faced, allowing no more baserunners.

Gonsolin threw 27 pitches (17 strikes) in his two innings, averaging 92 mph with his fastball. If Gonsolin recovers well from the outing, he could pitch for the Dodgers on Sunday or Monday, Roberts said.

Barring a setback, Roberts said Gonsolin figures to be the Dodgers’ fourth starter in the NLDS – albeit with a shortened pitch count.

“That’s the hope,” Roberts said.

The big clause there, of course, is "if Gonsolin recovers well," and we might not know the answer to that until later Wednesday or even Thursday. But getting Gonsolin back for one last regular-season start before the postseason would be a big boost for the Dodgers heading into October. Even if Gonsolin can only go four innings in his first playoff start, Los Angeles could piggyback him with Dustin May and/or Andrew Heaney to get through that fourth start. And if the Dodgers get deep enough into the postseason, we could see Gonsolin basically at full-strength by the World Series.

Now, to wait patiently for confirmation that he recovered well from the rehab start.