Dodgers hurler Tony Gonsolin is continuing to work his way back from a right forearm strain, having been placed on the 15-day injured list on August 29. Gonsolin’s rehab hasn’t moved as quickly as the team had initially hoped, but Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times relays that he’s responded well to a bullpen session earlier this week. Gonsolin’s role with the Dodgers upon his return is not set in stone, with Gonsolin revealing that he and manager Dave Roberts have discussed “different routes” for his role when he returns.
In his first full season starting, Gonsolin has been nothing short of remarkable, pitching to a 2.49 ERA, 23.7 K%, 7.2 BB% in 128 1/3 innings (23 starts). These impressive numbers propelled him to his first All-Star game, but he has already surpassed his previous max innings pitched, 128, set in 2018. Additionally, after dealing with a forearm strain, it makes sense why the Dodgers may be hesitant in pushing their young, controllable starter before their upcoming playoff run.
Elsewhere around the division…
- Giants stalwart Brandon Belt is entering free agency coming off his third surgery on his right knee, but he told Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic this week that his knee “feels great” roughly two weeks after surgery. Belt says that he feels “like a brand-new person,” while adding that he knows there is “a lot more left in me” and explaining he has already shed his crutches. Belt also added that he has roughly four weeks of rehab before he will be back to normal – plenty of time for a normal offseason preparation. Belt expressed interest in returning to San Francisco but indicated he’d be willing to play elsewhere if the team were “ready to move on.” The 34-year-old did not categorically rule out the idea of retiring, stating that “it needs to be the right situation for me to keep going” and that it doesn’t make sense to “go play for nothing” while stating he wouldn’t accept a minor league contract. Although Belt put forth a disappointing 2022 season, slashing .213/.326/.350 for a .676 OPS, he is less than a year removed from posting back-to-back .900+ OPS seasons and is a career .261/.356/.458 hitter.
- The Rockies have still yet to officially shut down third baseman Kris Bryant for the season. However, there’s still no timetable for Bryant’s return to the field. In a chat with reporters (including The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney) this afternoon, Bryant stated that the Rockies want him “to feel really good going into the offseason” and that he wants an “offseason that’s as close to normal as possible.” With those sentiments, it appears likely that the 30-year-old will not take the field again this season with the Rockies destined to miss the playoffs for the fourth season in a row. Overall, Bryant is in the first year of a seven-year, $182MM contract, but has only appeared in 42 games with the Rockies while being placed on the injured list three times for a strained lower back and plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Nevertheless, when healthy he performed at a high standard, slashing .306/.376/.475 for a .851 OPS, albeit in a hitter-friendly environment.
Ha Ha Brandon Belt is in the best shape of his life!
Pay me!
That man is gonna have knees of an 80 year old man when he retires
Which should be now.
Bryant 100 less at bats than Belt. 9 figure contract. Yes, belt low average. But better defensively. Better power. But all you knuckleheads say nothing criticizing Bryant and GUARANTEED most that post here wanted Bryant. Or some other free agent that bombed–and there are many. But yep, bag on belt
I don’t know how you’re comparing Bryant to Belt. One has nothing to do with the other.
They don’t play the same position, they don’t bat from the same side. And, no, I don’t think most Giant fans necessarily wanted Bryant back because he doesn’t carry the same glove as Belt.
And, no, the Bryant contract was ridiculous for a club like the Rockies, whereas I could see why the Giants hoped Belt could stay healthy, even though he never has. But Belt’s time is up.
Pete, I agree with everything you said except he was a big free agent target and most fans whine the Giants didnt spend. He was part of that class. My point was simply that Bryant deserved the grief and got little here. Both have been injured often. Belt was worth the one year contract but he has struggled but mostly cuz of the knee. When both were healthy last year Belt was much more productive. Yes, it’s time to move on. Agreed. Bryant? Probably time as well, it just seems he’s getting a pass. Especially considering the $.
claude — I don’t know about “a pass.” I think most Giants fans appreciate what Bryant brought to the club, but he wasn’t here long enough to have fans even think much about him now.
Rockie fans don’t have much to go on either, but they’ll (rightfully) give him a pass, especially as he is one of the few true Major League players on their roster. They can still be hopeful about him.
And after all, Belt will be 35 next season, where as Bryant will only be 31.
I would almost bet that Belt ends up back in San Francisco. So they don’t have up and coming first baseman and need to fill some spots in off season. If healthy again he could be a decent short term option
Benjamin101677 – Please, no.
Cat Man for Cy Young.
It would be nice to think this could happen but I suspect he won’t get a lot of votes. He pitches in the wrong time zone.
With 128.1 IP for the year for Gonsolin? He’s not even having the best season among Dodger SPs. That would be Urias.
Urias was an ASG snub for the ages.
There’s a man shaped like a cat?
He’s just crazed about Cats. He calls Saturday “Caturday.” Makes his teammates where cat themed shirts he makes up.
One time at least he wore cat shoes in a game. Funny thing is he doesn’t even have a cat because he travels too much. Some day he’ll have a house full of them, no doubt.
BlueSkies, that changed last year my friend. Tony has Tigger (a bright orange tabby cat) and Blu (a tuxedo tabby) now. And they are little menaces.
He has “cat-sitters” come over periodically while he is on the road.
Well okay then I stand corrected!
Haha He was mostly amusing himself with his Mom’s many cats for years. He finally can afford his own cats + sitters now apparently. I forgot about his cat cleats until you mentioned them though that was great.
Alcantara and Urias are 1 and 2 in my opinion.
Urias was top three last year in my opinion, too.
When’s Bauer do back? Nothing like getting a Cy Young winner back just in time for the playoffs!
The week after never.
Smacks
It is spelled “due”.
Not that trolls are known for their spelling.
And yet they are, in a way.
He misspelled doo?
Never
Bryant basically isn’t a third baseman anymore. He’s their left fielder
So is BB saying that playing for league minimum is equal to playing for nothing?
Good luck buddy!
A minor league contract (what he actually said) is not the same as earning the Major League minimum.
Bryant and the Rox were a bad match from the outset. Bad for the Rox because $182 million could have bought a lot of talent that didn’t have the nagging injury history that Bryant had.
Bad for Bryant because he took big cheese in exchange for never playing meaningful late season baseball for at least the next five or six years.
Next to the Angels, the Rox are the worst run team in all of MLB..
R u kidding the worst team??? No I give it to pirates or Detroit or oakland
Oakland? Are yoiu serious? 22 post-season appearances in 50 yrs by a small market team reflects a very well-run organization. Pirates are awful but Det is nowhere near the worst, even with a suspect GM. Rockies have problems attracting front line SP for obvious reasons, not to mention the difficulty in attracting capable GM’s. Baseball was not designed to be played @ 5,000ft.
The Rockies are not one of the very worst run teams in baseball. Bottom third, sure, but not very bottom.
Over the past dozen years, they have faired competitively with Padres, Diamondbacks and Giants. Just never been able to compete with Dodgers during their historic run.
I do agree that Bryant signing was laughably bad like Ian Desmond signing. Bryant loses value off 3B, as a left fielder or DH they could obtain his level of bat for a fraction of what they paid and he will not age well based on his recent injury history.
2.1 era
Gonsolin’s ERA is 2.10 . . . not 2.49
If I were an upcoming free agent my knee would feel great too lol
Did Boras fleece the Rockies or what?
TG doesn’t need to be completely built back up for the playoffs. I could see 1. Urias 2. CK 3. May/Gonsolin piggyback. 4.(if needed) TA Heaney could be a 1-2 inning weapon out of the pen.
Belt will achieve his long awaited ceiling, once they ban the shift on him.
He is a consummate pro in finding injuries, so that will be the determination if teams want a player where fans clamor to see his ceiling, but never achieve it by taking “breaks”
Data, someday, who knows when, you MAY post something worthwhile slash intelligent
The Rockies should cut their usual $52M check to the RS and trade Bryant to them to play LF. And then use the money they saved to offer Arenado $182M/7 to return. That way, if the RS can’t re-sign Devers, the Rockies can trade Arenado to the RS as well, with, of course, another $52M check.
As most know me here I’m not a Dodgers fan but as a baseball fan I have to tip my hat to this year’s team. They are going to finish with about 112 wins, which is incredible given the increased competition in the NL West. I thought they might decline a smidge from last season – adding Freddie was big, but losing Buehler and other injuries sure doesn’t explain the increase. They outspend the league, but they’ve managed to exceed expectations still, if that’s possible.
And imagine where they’d be now with Buehler heading the rotation and a reliable closer. And a healthy Max Muncy. Freddie they stole right out from under the noses of the Braves. With all the synthetic controversy over how that happened, the important part is the Dodgers ended up with one of greatest pure hitters in the game.
Freddie has a great chance of winning the batting title his first year as a Dodger. He gets to have his family watch him at home games. Couldn’t have worked out better for Freddie and the Dodgers.
So many point out the Dodgers payroll. Cry me a river…Having endured the Frank McCrook bankrupt attempt, your complaints are falling on deaf ears. And may I point out that if the Dodgers only had money without such a deep minor league system, they wouldn’t be in the position they are now.
If they don’t want Bryant to run into continuing injury problems, the Rox will have to consider (of course they won’t) running the big contract guy out as a DH from now on (assuming he doesn’t sit 23′ out.) Maddon turned him into an OF’er with the Cubs for no good reason (other than to be “different”) and it was out there — no surprise — that he began his injury history. He’s not an OF’er and he’s not “versatile.” His signing was what happens when you have too many yes men near the ownership. Nice guy though. :0