As Shohei Ohtani rehabs, former All-Star hurler is 'itching to pitch' for Dodgers

Gonsolin had a marvelous 2022 All-Star campaign where he went 16-1, had a paltry 0.87 WHIP and an impressive 2.14 ERA. After a struggle the following year, Gonsolin was shut down in August 2023 and had Tommy John Surgery shortly thereafter. 

He missed all of 2024 but told McKain last November he was "100% ready to go" as the offseason was underway. With that said, who may get that first real crack at filling the fifth-starter role appears to be steadily listing toward the Gonsolin side.

When it comes to live-game situations, where any of the three stand is difficult to gauge, and Roberts admits he's unsure who will step forward as the season begins, and who will play a role in relief.

There's a possibility that both Gonsolin and May could begin the year on the injured list, but Roberts has faith they'll answer the bell.

"I do think that right now, at this point, they’re both building up. They’re both viewing themselves, [and] we’re [also] viewing them as starters. We’ll see how the rest of the spring plays out, which obviously is a long ways away," Roberts said.

Ohtani's subsequent return date is undecided, but Roberts hopes for “some time in May.” The Dodgers anticipate Ohtani will throw his first spring bullpen session soon. 

That leaves a door open for Gonsolin, and with research showing around 80% of pitchers tend to regain pre-injury form, it's a bit scary (or perhaps sickening if you're in the NL) to imagine how good the Dodgers could be with a resurgent Gonsolin.