The 2023 season was one to forget for Tony Gonsolin as he spent a significant portion of it on the injured list and was less than 100% when on the mound.
Gonsolin was originally slated to be in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Opening Day rotation, but sprained his left ankle in Spring Training and opened the year on the 15-day IL.
He returned picking up on his strong 2022 by throwing 32.1 innings with a 1.95 ERA in May. But things started to fall off hard after that as Gonsolin posted a 5.82 ERA in June, which was his lowest ERA in a month through the rest of the season.
The Dodgers first said Gonsolin was not recovering well between starts, but it was later revealed he was pitching through an elbow injury for roughly two months. The right elbow trouble affected Gonsolin’s stuff and control.
He was shut down in late August and underwent Tommy John surgery.
Not much has been revealed about the operation, but during the Dodgers Love L.A. Community Tour, Gonsolin shared an update on his arm and rehab.
“It’s good,” he said. “I started my throwing-ish progression, started this week. So just taking it slow.”
Gonsolin is expected to miss all of this season, but is looking forward to competing again in 2025. Gonsolin is also using the opportunity to look ahead to a fresh start after the surgery.
The 29-year-old finished the 2023 season 8-5 with a 4.98 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 20 starts.
Tony Gonsolin’s cats supporting his rehab
Gonsolin joined Hunter Feduccia at the North Central Animal Services Center to help promote adoptions. He has a well-documented fondness for cats, which have played a part in navigating the difficult rehab process.
“This offseason especially for me, doing my TJ recovery and all that stuff, some days are easier than others and some days are harder than others,” Gonsolin began.
“But I know at the end of my workday, I come back home and my two cats are right there for me. Like every time, I swear.
“It’s one of the best feelings when I get to go home and see them for the first time after four or five hours.”
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