The Dodgers announced they have recalled right-hander Landon Knack and left-hander Justin Wrobleski. In corresponding moves, they have optioned righty Michael Petersen and placed righty Gavin Stone on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
At this point, it’s the path forward for Stone is fairly unclear. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says the young righty will be shut down for about ten days and the plan from there will depend on how he feels at that point, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic on X. It’s likely to be a notable development regardless of how that plays out, both due to Stone’s strong performance this year and the other injuries in the club’s rotation.
Stone made his major league debut last year, making eight appearances, including four starts. He didn’t find immediate success, as he allowed 31 earned runs in his 31 innings last year, meaning he came into 2024 with his earned run average at an even 9.00.
But he has taken a significant step forward so far this year. He has made 25 starts for the Dodgers and logged 140 1/3 innings with a 3.53 ERA. His 20% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 44.2% ground ball rate are all fairly close to average for a starting pitcher this year.
Subtracting that kind of solid performance would be unwelcome for any club but it’s especially notable for the Dodgers, who have been suffering through a huge slate of rotation injuries this year and in the past as well.
Stone is actually the only pitcher on the club currently qualified for the ERA title, as he leads the team in both starts and innings pitched. That’s due to just about every other pitcher on the staff spending at least some time on the IL. Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, River Ryan and Emmet Sheehan are all currently on the IL. Now that Stone is joining them, that gives the club eight viable starters currently on the shelf.
May, Ryan and Sheehan are done for the year due to major surgeries. Yamamoto is going to be reinstated next week but isn’t fully stretched out, having thrown 53 pitches in his most recent rehab outing. Glasnow is a few steps behind Yamamoto, as he’s playing catch but hasn’t yet taken the mound, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (X link). Kershaw hit the IL a week ago due to a bone spur in his toe and has an uncertain timeline. Gonsolin is trying to come back from last year’s Tommy John surgery but will be limited to relief work, at best.
For now, the rotation consists of Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, Knack and Wrobleski. That group will be welcoming back Yamamoto soon but, as mentioned, he isn’t fully ramped up and might need a piggyback. Flaherty has some injury questions of his own, as he had back issues earlier this year with the Tigers, which reportedly scuttled a trade with the Yankees and led to him landing with the Dodgers instead. Buehler has a 5.67 ERA this year and Miller is at 7.79. Knack and Wrobleski each have less than 50 major league innings pitched.
It’s a less than ideal situation for a club that is still playing meaningful games. The club’s 84-56 record is tied with the Phillies for the best in baseball, but the Central-leading Brewers are just three games back, meaning a bye through the Wild Card round is no guarantee. The division isn’t totally sewn up either, as the Padres are just five games back of the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks 5.5.
Even if the Dodgers cruise into the postseason, having a banged-up rotation can cause trouble in a short playoff series, as the Dodgers know well. They won 100 games last year but their rotation was in shambles by the time the postseason rolled around, which led to them being quickly swept by the Diamondbacks.
At this point, it’s still technically possible that the Dodgers could have a postseason rotation consisting of Flaherty, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Stone and Kershaw, but there are question marks with each of them. That could perhaps lead to someone like Buehler, Miller or Knack sliding into the mix simply due to a lack of other options.
It’s amazing that the Braves and Dodgers are still in the playoff hunt with the debilitating number of injuries they’ve had.
Well for the Dodgers especially spending $1B and buying literally everyone you can helps build the depth
Stone, Miller. Wrobleski, Knack, Kershaw all home grown. But you groan on Mickey.
Wrobleski should have been put on the IL for the PTSD he sustained in Arizona
LOL. Dodger fans get so salty when the very obvious and straightforward is pointed out. They outspend all teams minus the Mets.
Literally their top 5 WAR players are all FA that were developed by other teams. STOP BEING DEFENSIVE.
Dodgers happen to be 5th in payroll including Ohtani’s required cap allocation. Check the facts.
spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/_/year/2024/sort/cap_total…
JJ
Actual humor.
Mojo
I try
Betts was acquired via trade, Literally.
Freeman Betts ohtani Yamamoto Hernandez flaharty kopeck Rosario
In addition to Kershaw, Stone, Miller, Knack and Wrobleski, also home grown Buehler, Gonsolin, May, Ryan, Frasso. Not to mention Will Smith, Gavin Lux, Pages. Cheap players dumped by other franchises include Muncy, Taylor and Rojas. Teoscar was signed as a free agent for a cheap one year deal. Dodgers are a big city budget due to three free agents and two trades. Trades Betts and Glasnow. Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Freeman as free agents. Dodgers let Seager and Belli go when they signed Freeman and Betts. So really it was not until they signed Ohtani and Yamamoto that they flexed some financial muscle.
Some of those cap totals are so strange. Rockies spent 140M with nothing to show for it.
Not the accurate payroll my guy – spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/yearly
Buehler,May, Gonsolin,Sheehan
But you have to admit that all the free agent starters allowed the Dodgers to develop their homegrown starters at a slower pace. If they were on poorer teams, they would have been thrown to the wolves a lot sooner and some of them would have undoubtedly far much worse.
I don’t see what point you’re trying to make. It’s not like they threw softer in the minors.
Yeah, Wrobleski is the one he’s talking about. Nice comeback
Nearly all of the Rockies players are home grown, traded, or claimed off waivers. The only current Rockies that were signed as free agents are Kris Bryant, Jacob Stallings, Jake Cave, Ty Blach and Dakota Hudson.
$23,500,000 million for 1 year is cheap?
So 5 out of 26 lol
Yeah cause that’s the real backbone of the team right there
THANK YOU! Everyone is afraid to say it and endure the wrath of these “fans.”
Jake Cave was a trade (for cash) as well. End of Spring Training deal with the Phillies.
“For the Dodgers especially spending $1
B “….That’s a fairly inaccurate, naive view. You might be able to “buy ” your way to relevance over a year or two, but you cannot “buy” your way to 10+ str8 division titles.
I’d like you to name the teams that draft and develop better than the Dodgers. Also name the key personnel they’ve drafted in the last 10+ years. I’ll hold on , because this likely to be a very short conversation.
MLB
You’re gonna confuse Mickey with facts.
You literally can and they do. Their best players are all FA. Theyve traded away the majority of their best farm hands. Yes they do call up lots of minor leaguers, but their roster for years has been FA.
Outside of Will Smith (who has regressed a ton) and Buehler (no comment) who are consistent meaningful contributors of this vaunted farm system?
Im sure you want answer and just protest instead, but Dodgers statistically have bought the majority of their recent success.
Top 5 WAR are FA. The only reason we hear about their farm system is so famous is because they traded away Yordan and Cruz. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers all get this weird media pop but the results really havent been there in almost a decade.
So sustained run of success with home grown players on the team. The Braves, Guardians, Rays and Astros check those boxes.
I don’t like the Dodgers at all, and even I admit that they are at the top of the list when it comes to drafting and developing pitchers. They are reaping the fruits of their labor from the 2020 and 2021 drafts, as seen in some of their younger pitchers this year.
You’re right. It all comes down to winning.
Was responding to bkbk. But you did omit Lux. Not that LAD don’t spend freely on free agts. Yep they do.
@bkbk The Dodgers might be free agent heavy now, but they were one of the best at developing talent for years. Rookie of the year candidates almost every year for years. The farm has only recently fallen off a little due to young pitchers getting injured.
You keep not naming players and talking in sweep generalities. Are you talking Raul Mondesi and Piazza? In the 90s? As far as Lux goes, you can’t belief that a success story? He floundered for 3 years and now has two above average months. The dodgers do win, but you can’t have it both ways. They are the definition of buying (I almost said championships), but let’s settle on good regular seasons.
I haven’t looked in a year or so but the Astros had more draft picks from 2012-2022 make the MLB than any other organization last I checked.
They also a have significant number of international FA pitchers make it.
I would need to check updates and performance stats to get an idea which organization is best, but I would bet on them.
Of course Yordan being counted as a Dodger signed when he never played a game in their organization would be a fraud.
@ Astrosfn1979 that’s probably a list of homegrown players that still play with the same team. The Dodgers make more trades and other acquisitions so their homegrown talent is shattered throughout the league.
As I said, it’s been a while but it was simply a list of the number of draft picks that made the MLB from 2012-2022. No success level included or considered.
Many of them made MLB with other teams after being traded.
FWIW, I looked it up while researching how good of a GM Jeff Luhnow really was. As far as identifying and acquiring talent, he was top notch. Obviously, he also had other major flaws.
According to baseballcube.com
I chose the 10 years from 2012-2021, as the this is only the 2nd full season in the minors for players drafted in 2022 and the Dodgers have not had any make it and the Astros only 2.
Astros: 349 draft picks and 100 have made MLB. 28.7%
Dodgers: 351 draft picks and 91 have made MLB. 25.9%
This has nothing to do with what teams the players made MLB with.
I did not check any other team, as this reply was specific to the 2 teams and it’s time consuming.
Since 2014
Players drafted by the Astros w/ at least 5.0 WAR
Bregman 38.4
Tucker 22.0
Ramon Laureano 12.9
Jeremy Pena 12.0
Myles Straw 7.8
Chas McCormick 6.6
Patrick Sandoval 6.4
Josh Rojas 5.8
Other players with extensive MLB careers
Jake Meyers 4.6
Hunter Brown 3.3
J.D. Davis 2.8
Jake Rogers 2.1
Ryan Thompson 1.6
Abraham Toro 1.5
Trent Thornton 1.2
J.P. France 1.0
Garrett Stubbs 0.7
Kody Clemens 0.5
Current rookies or 1st year starters
Korey Lee
Luken Baker
Chayce McDermott
Spencer Arrighetti
Joey Loperfido
Will Wagner
Zach Dezenzo
Jake Bloss
Shay Whitcomb
Yeah, either way, I said the Dodgers were one of the best at development in my original post, not the best. Although, your post doesn’t seem mention International amateur signings. Either way, both teams are above average at it.
Don’t know if this has been mentioned, but from the years 2012-2021 the Astros had three #1 picks and a #2. The Dodgers highest pick in all those years was 18th. So, to be fair, can’t really compare the two when it comes to draft picks making the big leagues.
Dodgers haven’t won 10 straight division titles. Giants got one a couple years back when they had that game 163 which they got blasted in.
Yes, the dreaded “check swing” cost them the division.
Yes. I didn’t do the 28 other teams, but I doubt more than 1 or 2 are even in Hou and the Dodgers’ class.
As for international signings, the Astros are lacking in hitters, but have hit the mother load in pitching.
Framber, Javier, Bryan Abreu, Ronel Blanco, Jose Urquidy all currently on the tram or 60 day IL, and Cionel Perez of Orioles, Enoli Paredes of the Brewers, and Valente Bellozo of the Marlins come to mind
You’re spelling Padres wrong.
If by $2 million you mean $70 million? Do you people even reference accurate data before making this wrong assertions? Not that any of this matters
I understand what people mean about ATL but they have had some good luck too. Who could predict Lopez and Sale doing what they’ve done? Everybody was saying they were underperforming (which they were…Acuna, Albies, Olson, Riley,etc) until Lopez and Fried went down and then everybody started saying how bad the injuries have been but both those guys came right back. I’m not saying it’s wrong but it’s odd that that was when everyone seemed to start buying into that storyline. Horrible injuries, no doubt. But underperforming vets abound. They have truly impressed the last month tho. But the Dodgers just kept going like nothing happened.
Rich Hill is available but alas cannot be an option in October. I would get on the horn with Dallas Keuchel and Johnny Cueto and Tommy Milone as well. All bets are off, leave no stones uncovered.
Which makes all those suggestions the Dodgers will move on from Dave Roberts. totally absurd.
Well I think they should be very good despite injuries. They have a ton of talent. Roberts is a good manager but there are things about him I don’t like. I think most managers would have had similar success the last decade with those rosters and some would’ve maybe pulled off another WS (or even more). I can’t put my finger on it. Something about him. I think the leadership has always been more from the veterans they’ve had than the manager. But idk. He’s also said some things I don’t like. Basically called one of his players not very good earlier this year. Seems a bit disconnected from players at times and a bit of a front office stooge (I get all managers are to a degree). Outsider perspective tho.
Dodgers pitchers have always had “injuries”
Not to mention fools with conspiracy theories.
Haven’t all pitchers always had injuries?
@CardsFan57
Not Trevor Bauer.
Really hope this is just a rest
The one Dodger starter who had been healthy all year …
This is the new normal for pitching arms. Unless they stop making velocity and spin rates the end-all, be-all on how to get hitters out, it will only get worse.
how is Wrobleski still in baseball and not flipping burgers
Is there an opening where you work?
Left handed, throws 97, 24 years old, throws strikes….you’re welcome
Miller should have been sent down, smh
SOMEone needs to put up innings.
140-innings pitched Break time for Gavin before resetting and ramping him back up?
You can blame the idiot commissioner for taking the sticky stuff out of the game. No surprise all these pitcher injuries are happening without it.
Someone…anyone…lol
Friedman says Stone could be done for the season. Terrific.
I don’t see where he used those words. Obviously any visit to the IL this late in the season could jeopardize coming back before the end but as far as I can see Friedman only said it’s an unknown.
Yardbarker via Larry Brown Sports. “ but general manager Andrew Friedman told reporters that it could be a season-ending injury, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports.”. “Could” being the operative word.
Pregame interview with Friedman was more “I don’t know” than anything else.
Also as reported in the LA Times.
Going on the shelf with right shoulder inflammation on Sept 6th, doesn’t instill confidence that he’ll be ready to contribute come October.
That’s all there is to it…Ohtani has to take the mound.
Question of the day. Is it possible to be swept any other way than quickly?
Blue – maybe there is the tornado effect and the slight prolonged breeze effect? 3 or 4 games? Extra innings?
Just trying to come up with possibilities.
Yes. The Giants in the 1989 World Series were swept very slowly since the WS was postponed by the earthquake. That series was a sweep that lasted longer than a seven game series.
Hah. Noted.
Another slew of comments (mostly from sad haters) few to none of which relate to the actual article/news,
I’m not a Dodgers fan, far from it, but I’m really bummed by Stone going on IL. He’s been stalwart, hope it’s not serious and hes ready to go for playoffs.
Thanks for being a baseball fan. Not many of us left, it seems.
There are plenty of us left. Trolls will be trolls.
You have class, Brew88, unlike many. Thank you for your good vibes.
Yes, but Brew you’re a Padres guy to the depth of your being. You should not feel sorry for what is essentially a Dodgers rookie 5th starter going to the IL. There are lots of things to feel bummed about in life but this is not one of them. (And I say this in all friendliness and support.)
Actually Brew is a giant fan who also routes for the padres.
Blue got it right, more than anything I’m a fan of the game. I come from a baseball family. My brothers and I played to high levels and my dad was a Cub. I grew up a Padres fan but we moved to Bay Area where at a young age I became a Giants fan but now live in San Diego again and according to my wife and kids and friends and colleagues I’m a damn Padres fan again. Been season ticket holder for long time. I’ll be at the game against SF tomorrow (bearded of course) hoping for a Padres win. I also have great respect for fans of other teams, even the dreaded Dodgers. Without us all there wouldn’t be this incredible game.
Amen, brother!
My comment doesn’t warrant a complete explanation but I just wanted to clarify it wasn’t meant as a slur against the Dodgers or to be a hater. It was more out of showing solidarity for the great heated rivalry between the two clubs and that a rookie 5th starter going down in Sept should not be viewed as some tragic game changer.
Even though the Dodgers have shown they aren’t afraid to construct a roster around a number of injury question marks, the sheer amount of problems the pitching staff is having, has to be considered untenable. There needs to be a proper review into why the Dodgers training staff cannot keep guys healthy even near a league average rate.
Just because they handle injury impacts better than most, doesn’t mean they should be accepting of having to.
When all those guys were on the AA team, they all threw 100+mph.
On Saturday Roberts pulled Stone after 5 and said after the game that Stone was “tapped out.” Stone clearly didn’t agree, saying only that it’s the manager’s call.
I think that if Stone was significantly hurt, they would have put him on the DL right away to get another bullpen arm. The pen was in shambles last weekend.
I read today that the Dodgers now have the equivalent of 2 pitching staffs on the DL
Tyler Glasnow
Shohei Ohtani
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Dustin May
Tony Gonsolin
Clayton Kershaw
Gavin Stone
Emmet Sheehan
River Ryan
Nick Frasso
The Astros have been hit hard, but I keep arguing W/ my fellow Astro fans that it’s not as bad as the Dodgers.
Respect to them.
And just now, they may have lost Teoscar Hernandez for a spell.
kiss of death is roberts saying it should be 10 days
The Dodgers will be undefeated in December when all their pitchers are healthy. Between excessive BMI and climate change, we might as well get used to baseball players breaking down. They better figure out a way to stay healthy in the new environment. First off, get rid of all excess weight, you don’t need to be built like football players to play baseball. Second off, spend more time working aerobically. Train your body to process oxygen and fluids with some amount of endurance. Third, don’t work certain parts of the body to death. You can’t make ligaments stronger. But you can make the supporting muscles more efficient so the ligaments aren’t strained so easily. Fourth, rest and diet are more important than exercise. Look at the players who had long mostly injury free careers as the cohort worth studying. Nolan Ryan credited genetics but he did a lot of work, too.
Dodgers in the same spot as they were last season with their broken rotation. The more things change….
“At this point, it’s the path forward for Stone is fairly unclear.”
Uh, what? Proofread your stories.