Anyone who watched Gavin Stone twirl 3.1 hitless innings against a Korean All-Star team Monday in Seoul could have seen the writing on the wall.
Stone will be the Dodgers' number-5 starter to begin the 2024 regular season.
The 25-year-old right-hander confirmed the news with reporters after the Dodgers' 5-2 exhibition win at Gocheok Sky Dome.
Stone's performance capped a dominant spring training. He allowed only five hits and one run across 9.2 innings, effectively beating out Michael Grove for the final rotation position to begin the season.
The Dodgers' rotation will be led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Bobby Miller and James Paxton. Glasnow is scheduled to start on Opening Day against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Yamamoto will follow on Thursday.
Unlike the others, Paxton did not make the Korea trip but rather stayed behind in Arizona to build up innings in advance of the team's return home March 28.
The Dodgers have not announced their pitching plans beyond the two games against the San Diego Padres, but they technically won't need a fifth starter until April 1, a home game against the San Francisco Giants.
In theory, Stone won't pitch any later than that date, but the Dodgers were under no pressure to announce their season-opening rotation.
Stone, the Dodgers' fifth-round draft pick in 2020, spent most of the 2023 season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He went 7-4 with a 4.74 ERA in 21 games (19 starts) with the Dodgers' top minor league affiliate.
The Dodgers also tapped Stone for eight major league games (four starts), but his debut was rocky. He allowed 32 runs (31 earned) in 31 innings — a 9.00 ERA. Since then, Stone has incorporated a cutter and a slider into his pitch mix. He's also recovered from a blister on his right big toe that bothered him last season.
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