The Dodgers announced a series of roster moves today. MLBTR covered some of them earlier. In addition to those moves, the Dodgers have selected left-hander Robinson Ortiz to the roster, designated right-hander Tony Gonsolin for assignment and outrighted right-handed pitcher Michael Grove.
Gonsolin, 32 in May, is the biggest name here. Dating back to his 2019 debut, he has given the Dodgers 411 2/3 innings with a 3.34 earned run average, 23.2% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate. However, his health has been a big issue in recent years. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and missed the entire 2024 season. He was back on the mound in 2025 but more elbow troubles emerged. He required internal brace and flexor repair surgery in August.
When the Dodgers announced that procedure, they gave an estimated timeline of eight to ten months. Even in the best-case scenario, he’s going to be sidelined into the beginning of next season. Given that he’s missed a lot of the past three seasons, it’s anyone’s guess what kind of contributions he can make in 2026.
The Dodgers could have retained Gonsolin via arbitration for one more season. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Gonsolin for a $5.4MM salary next year. Given the uncertainty, the Dodgers have apparently decided not to put that kind of money down in a bet on Gonsolin.
If some other club feels differently, the Dodgers could work a trade in the coming days. DFA limbo can last a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, so that leaves the Dodgers five days for trade talks. If Gonsolin were to clear waivers, he would have the right to elect free agency.
Grove, 29 in December, tossed 149 1/3 innings for the Dodgers over the 2022 to 2024 seasons. In that time, he had a 5.48 ERA, 23.2% strikeout rate, 6.9% walk rate and 41.3% ground ball rate. Unfortunately, shoulder surgery in March wiped out his 2025 campaign. He crossed three years of service while spending this season on the injured list.
The Dodgers could have controlled him through 2028, with a projected salary of just $800K next year. However, given his uneven results and uncertain health status, they have moved on. He has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency.
Ortiz, 26 in January, was an international signing out of the Dominican Republic back in 2017. Initially a starter, he has been pitching out of the bullpen in recent years. He has clear strikeout stuff but also control issues. He missed the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to injury. He only logged 11 innings in 2024.
Here in 2025, he tossed 59 1/3 innings across three different levels with a 2.73 ERA. He walked 13% of batters faced but also struck out opponents at a 28.3% clip and got grounders on 47.2% of balls in play. He appears to be a work in progress but the Dodgers see something they like. Adding him to the roster today prevents him from becoming a minor league free agent. He has a full slate of options and can be kept in the minors as depth as the club works on improving his command.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Someone’s gotta jump on this. You know the WS champs are good when they’re designating solid players for assignment.
the only questionable guy on the roster right now is estuary ruiz. I have to imagine he’s gonna get cut/traded at some point.
Gonsolin is rehabbing from surgery (again) and will miss an undetermined part of the 2026 season.
Yeah, but Catman has 9 lives
He’ll with the Dodgers on a MiLB deal and be depth later in season. 40-man roster dodge
Undetermined by us. In a typical situation for this kind of surgery he’d become available by early or midseason. It appears the Dodgers have determined something else. It would not be shocking to see him clear waivers, given that any team claiming him would be taking an arbitration flier on him.
What they determined is Yamamoto, Snell, Ohtani, Glasnow, Sasaki, Sheehan, Stone, et al.
Well, sure. But if they thought he could come up to speed early in the season he could become trade material.
Wrobleski
You’d think so, right? Considering he’s from Vacaville and went to St Mary’s, the Giants seem a likely option.
Grove has a career era of 5.48, and a minor era of 5.44, he was never solid.
Wow
What the? Gonsolin must be struggling with rehab because he’s a mid-rotation starter when healthy and is cheap for 2026 (free agent after)
i mean he hasn’t been a useful contributor since 2022. value is probably pretty minimal on a guy like that and heaven knows the Dodgers have way more SP options than most. probably no path to get him MLB innings to try and get even a flier for him in 2026
He had internal brace TJ in August, not likely ready until late ‘26. We’ll see who steps up with a 2 year deal. Taking a minors deal with LA seems like a poor career choice given the other choices Dodgers should have for depth and ‘27
Internal brace recovery is typically 8-10 months. So April-June is his return window.
it’s a matter of somebody had to go. Gonsolin is in the last year of his contract and is rehabbing. they are only losing 3-4 months at this point vs having to dfa someone like hurt or frasso or knack that have 4-6 years of availability left.
Pirates get Him and Grove
Is this the same Dean that looked at the “stuck” ball and waved his arms like he was helpless?
You bet! Earned his ring on that play!
No, he was the Dean who looked at the stuck ball like he knew the rules.
Not that he was mentioned in this article. You must be lost. May I show you the exit?
It was so stick that afterwards he simply picked it up and threw it in line maybe, it wasn’t really ever “stick” at all.
They must have edited this article after I posted….? I’m positive he was mentioned when I read it…
A different article.
It was K Hernandez who knew the rules. Dean followed his directions. But the point is well made. The ball was wedged under the padding. How easily it could be dislodged is not part of the analysis.
Yeah looking at the replays is seems Hernandez threw his arms up first and Dean saw or heard him make the dead ball call.
Jeeesh… you guys must be feeling guilty or something. That issue was so “last week”.
I was just making reference to a guy that helped win the series then tossed to the curb after the parade.
I see there is a later article where the Giants picked up his services.
Uh, what?
Rule 5.06(b)(4)(F):
A ball is considered lodged if, in the judgment of the umpire, the natural trajectory of the flight of the ball is interrupted long enough to affect further play. A batted ball that sticks in a fence, scoreboard, shrubbery or vines located on the playing field should be considered a lodged ball. Likewise, a ball that goes behind a field tarp or wall padding without leaving the playing field should also be considered to be lodged and the same two base award applies. The determination of whether a ball is lodged is subject to Replay Review.
Cry more. It was the correct call, and if it had gone against the Dodgers, you would be praising it.
Damn, Gonsolin never got paid.
I really thought at one point he and May would be a long term nasty duo in the Dodgers rotation.
They were. I think it was a Tuesday.
Gonsolin has made $12M in his 3 year MLB career, so he’s not hurting. If he can rehab well and stay healthy, he has a chance to reestablish his worth to someone, since hems only 32, but time is ticking for him.
Best of luck to him.
It’s the Dodgers. They used up Fernando and threw him away. Lasorda burned him up. That’s the way they roll.
That’s your view, though, not Fernando Valenzuela’s view.
Read the history friend. His release was acrimonious to say the least. He was bitter that the Dodgers used him as a sort of icon with the Hispanic community. The Dodgers burnt him up and then kicked him to the curb. Fernando and the Dodgers reconciled in 2023.
They got rid of Fernando for Bobby Ojeda.
Crunch time
I think it is generally accepted that Tommy Lasorda, who was one of the greatest ambassadors for the sport of baseball ever, sometimes rode his starters too hard. But I find the criticism now ironic when so many complain that the Dodgers acquire brilliant oft-injured starters who rarely go beyond five innings. The times have changed and the Dodgers lead the la k in the new way.
Call it what you will. Lasorda was a West Coast baseball icon. He used and abused Fernando Valenzuela and the Dodgers organization did the same thing. It’s reminiscent of what’s happening today with the Japanese ballplayers. The difference being the incredible amounts of money. Just FYI I saw Fernando pitch in Mazatlán in 1999-2000 for the team from Hermosillo. Why? Probably because he just loved the game? Who knows but he didn’t reconcile with the Dodgers until 2023. Then he died. It’s a meat grinder and you’re right. The Dodgers lead the way.
Elbow hanging by a thread .
Suture
Best of luck to Tony. He was a warrior and pitched while he was hurt because the team needed him. I’ll never forget it and neither will his teammates. I suspect he will be back on a Dodger roster someday.
a victim of the unbearable weight of amassed talent
Thank you, Cat Man! Best wishes!