May 3: The Dodgers have formally selected Stone’s contract, per a team announcement. He brings their 40-man roster up to a count of 39 players. Lefty Alex Vesia was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in order to open a spot on the active roster.
Vesia has been hit hard in 13 appearances this season, yielding a 7.84 ERA in 10 1/3 innings with a 25.4% strikeout rate that’s better than league-average but vastly worse than the 34% he posted in 2021-22. Vesia’s average fastball velocity has held steady at 94.2 mph, but he’s giving up more hard contact than he ever has with the Dodgers; after yielding an 87.2 mph average exit velocity and 34.6% hard-hit rate in 2021-22, he’s at 91 mph and 44.7% so far in the young 2023 season.
April 30: According to MLB.com’s Juan Toribio, the Dodgers are planning on selecting the contract of right-hander Gavin Stone to start Wednesday’s game against the Phillies. Stone is not currently on the 40-man roster, and so a corresponding move will be required to clear space for the youngster.
Stone, 24, is ranked 49th on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospect list, 60th over at Fangraphs, and 51st at Baseball America. A fifth round pick from the 2020 draft by the Dodgers, Stone broke out in a big way last season with a 1.48 ERA in 121 2/3 innings of work that saw him strike out 33.8% of batters faced alongside a solid 8.9% walk rate.
That performance saw Stone get promoted twice, with just 25 innings at High-A before moving to the upper minors. After a 23 1/3 inning stint at Triple-A to close out the 2022 season, Stone impressed in spring training with 14 strikeouts in just 6 2/3 innings, but struggled to open the 2023 season when he returned to Triple-A, allowing six runs while recording just eight outs in his season debut. He’s posted a 2.86 ERA in 22 innings since that blowup outing, however, showing more than enough talent to justify a start in the big leagues.
It’s not currently clear if Stone’s call to the majors will last beyond Wednesday’s start. The Dodgers currently sport a five man rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and Noah Syndergaard. With no one in that group currently known to be injured, it’s possible that, should Stone stick in the rotation, LA opts to use a six-man rotation for awhile.
That being said, Syndergaard has struggled mightily to a 6.58 ERA over five starts to this point in the season. That ugly top-level run prevention number is supported by a 5.06 FIP, a well-below average 18.3% strikeout rate, and a groundball rate of just 37.2%. Given his struggles, it’s possible that Stone could replace Syndergaard in the rotation if the youngster excels and the 30-year-old right-hander continues to struggle.
In heading to the majors on Wednesday, Stone joins a youth movement in LA that has seen both infielder Miguel Vargas and outfielder James Outman in the lineup on a regular basis and Michael Grove take four starts to open the season before heading to the injured list with a groin strain. 24-year-old right-hander Ryan Pepiot was meant to break camp with the club as well, but suffered an oblique strain at the end of the spring that has sidelined him to this point in the season.
Even with Stone now poised to reach the big leagues, the Dodgers still have multiple top prospects who could make their major league debuts sometime this year, including right-hander Bobby Miller, outfielder Andy Pages, and catcher Diego Cartaya.
If the Dodgers want to compete this year, they’re gonna have part ways with some top prospects. They generally do that. Still early yet but baseball so far is upside down. Good to see other teams in the mix.
Now that most of the team isn’t injured they look pretty good. They will be fine ( and also will make some moves)
They already are competing, 1 game out of 1st with Betts, Smith, Muncy all missing significant time.
Just for one start only.
Don’t think you’re etched in, Stone.
I meant to say the Dodgers don’t part with top prospects
It may be subjective terminology but last few years with Betts and Turner/Sherzer as a guide I’d say they have traded some top level prospects.
If Ohtani is available at deadline they probably will be will to do so again.
The angels arnt trading Ohtani to the Dodgers
I’m neither an Angel fan nor a Dodger fan but rest assured IF they decide to trade him (they should for the haul) and IF Dodgers put the best package on the table (they have a lot to offer) then the Angels will not pass and trade to the next team in line just because they are the Dodgers.
I’m not predicting anything – just saying the belief that they won’t trade to Dodgers is just an emotional fan comment.
Watch tonight and pretty soon you’ll be romancing the Stone.
Enjoy your time in the bullpen Thor.
I expect him to throw multiple complete game no-hitters. Guy’s a beast.
No pressure on the kid. Looks like I’m going to be at his debut. Not only is Stone in the forecast, but so is rain. I will be a game of pickup-stix.
Another sign of the youth movement, while keeping competitive. It’ll be interesting to see what the trade deadline calls for, considering they’re already over the “cap”
They are waiting to sign Ohtani in off-season
It’s beyond me why anyone believes this.
Any information about Bobby Miller injury? Since he still wasnt pitch in any official games this year?
And havent heard about Hyun Il Choi too
He pitched yesterday for Oklahoma City
Bobby’s “shoulder soreness” was designed to hold him back and have him ready and fresh for Sept/Oct. He was hitting 101 MPH and sat 98-100 MPH last night. Whatever the Dodgers did with him in extended spring training is working.
Syndergaard has just been bad, and that doesn’t come as a complete surprise. He’s not nearly the pitcher he was pre-surgery which is a shame, but do the Dodgers continue running him out there with these kinds of results?
Well they keep running Chris Taylor out there. Last night he was 0 for 4, with 4 strikeouts. Yowzer.
It’s brutal to watch.
He’s been better the past few days, but what he’s doing that is NOT encouraging is taking a mighty hack at anything close with 2 strikes. I know he’s never been one to cut down on his swing to make contact, but as long as he’s trying to launch a 425-footer with 2 strikes, things aren’t gonna get any better. And don’t even get me started on Austin Barnes and his .085 BA.
They do until the deadline. Someone has to eat up all those innings, unfortunately.
Bruh, not against us!
Trevor Hoffman-esque change up!
Gavin was the 2nd to last pick the year he was drafted, because of the shortened draft that season. Casey on Dodgers Daily got to see him a lot in Tulsa and OKC and he compared Gavin Stone to a young Orel Hershiser in terms of makeup.
YES ! Start trotting out Ur best arms, best young Ps who R close, on the job training, got Miller setup2 be brought up after all-star break by limiting his innings early
Sickening that this Dodgers team can stay good just because they can keep buying players to go with their prospects. My hope is their drought of legit World Series titles (none since 1988) continues for many years but these terrorists are likely going to buy Ohtani soon too. MLB is by far the most rigged sport in the sense that the big market teams have such a ridiculous advantage over the have-nots.
Move to China. You’ll find their sports most agreeable. Everyone ties. It’s amazing
Move to China. You crybaby
And yet the big market teams don’t win the WS often and there is plenty of parity in MLB. Meanwhile, low budget teams like Cleveland and the Rays continue to win. It’s not rigged at all. There hasn’t been a repeat winner since the Yanks in 2009. And speaking of the Yankees, despite their high payroll, they haven’t won in more than a decade. Hey Mickey, you’re not so fine.
@Mickey Mouse…You obviously don’t watch a lot of baseball, so I’m not gonna waste a long reply to your post.
Hey, remember when all of the 29 other teams refused to play in 2020 because if they won, the championship would be meaningless?
Yeah, neither do I……
You are truly touched.
Drought? What happened to the World Series the Dodgers Won in 2020?
Mickey doesn’t count it cause his team didn’t win. (The actual argument is that it doesn’t count because the season wasn’t 162 games, despite the fact that it was the longest, toughest playoff gauntlet in MLB History). Its a dumb argument, and anyone making it just shows they are bitter and salty about their own team.
Totally.
If you want to talk about Legitimately then the Dodgers should be awarded the 2017 World Series because Houston Legitimately cheated.
I remember when baseball players cheated in 1919 it led to the permanent banning of eight players from the White Sox from baseball forever and yet not one Houston player was banned for life. So I agree with LA Ballez!!! The Dodgers have won two World Series since 1988!!!
I wasn’t impressed by Stone’s 1st outing…..time to send him down and bring back Vesia, or send them all down and bring up some retired nascar tire changers to pitch.
Did you even watch the game?
Holy $#1T I know I’m late but they optioned Vesia?! Thank the Lord!!!