For the last few days, Dodger fans have been very excited for the upcoming MLB debut of RHP Gavin Stone. Juan Toribio of MLB.com reported that Stone was going to be called up ahead of Wednesday’s game, and will get that start against the Phillies.
Even though the Dodgers have a day off the next day, it sounded like they liked the idea of getting everyone in the rotation an extra day of rest, especially leading into the first series of the season against the San Diego Padres.
So while it seems pretty safe to assume Stone is coming up, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has held things pretty close to the chest.
The past few days, reporters have asked him to confirm the report; and the past few days, he has not.
On Monday, after the Dodgers’ 13-4 win over the Phillies, Roberts even went as far to say RHP Dustin May is currently “pencilled in” to start that game.
Roberts obviously isn’t supposed to be talking about moves before they happen, so you can’t blame him for trying to keep this one under wraps.
Fortunately, we’ll likely get a firm answer from him on Tuesday, as the Dodgers will have to make the roster move Wednesday morning before the 1:10 p.m. PST game.
As for Stone, he’s settled in very nicely over his last few starts in Triple-A.
After struggling in his 2023 debut, Stone hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a game, and has allowed just one in his last two starts combined.
Stone is best known for his nasty changeup, which he learned and developed with the Dodgers. It’s as MLB-ready as a changeup can be, and he flashed some of its dominance during spring training.
However, it sounds like the Dodgers have seen more than enough, and are finally ready to take the training wheels off. Stone seems ready to get the start on Wednesday, and then we’ll see what happens from there.
The Dodgers could elect to keep him up as a No. 6 starter/hybrid reliever, or they could send him back down to continue getting consistent starts. It also may depend how he looks on Wednesday.
But I guess until Roberts or the Dodgers confirm the move, for now, this is all speculation — but it seems like pretty safe speculation.
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