Dodgers right-hander Gavin Stone is battling shoulder discomfort, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of The California Post and Sonja Chen of MLB.com). Stone is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season.
It’s a concerning setback for a pitcher who missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing surgery on that shoulder. It was a significant operation that involved repair to his labrum, capsule and rotator cuff. Stone underwent the procedure in October ’24 and was immediately ruled out for the following season.
The 27-year-old entered camp without restrictions and tossed a perfect inning with two strikeouts in his Spring Training debut last week. Stone threw a bullpen session between game appearances and came out of that work with the shoulder flareup. There’s no indication anything is amiss structurally. Stone is shut down from throwing for the time being, an understandable precaution given his health history.
Stone was amidst a quality ’24 season before the injury. He had a 3.53 earned run average across 140 1/3 innings. His 20% strikeout rate was a hair below average but he limited walks and hard contact. He looked the part of a mid-rotation arm.
The Dodgers are planning to open the season with a six-man rotation. Stone had a good chance to win a spot had he gotten through camp healthy. Blake Snell is trending toward a season-opening injured list stint of his own after battling postseason arm fatigue.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki should occupy the top four spots. Ohtani isn’t pitching in the World Baseball Classic and could be on a tight pitch count for his first few starts. Emmet Sheehan has been delayed in camp by an illness but should have sufficient time to build up for Opening Day. He’d probably win a rotation spot as well.
That would leave one rotation spot available. River Ryan missed all of 2025 rehabbing Tommy John surgery but is back to health this spring. Lefty Justin Wrobleski could start or work out of the bullpen. Landon Knack remains on the 40-man roster as a depth starter; he has been hit around through his first two Spring Training outings. Veteran southpaw Cole Irvin is in camp as a non-roster invitee.
Right-hander Kyle Hurt does not appear to be in the rotation mix. Roberts told reporters that the Dodgers view the 27-year-old as a reliever who could work multiple innings. Hurt didn’t make an MLB appearance last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July ’24. He has looked sharp early in camp, striking out six of 11 batters faced over his first three appearances. Hurt has fired three innings of one-run ball as he tries to claim an Opening Day bullpen spot.
Ouch. I hope he gets better and the Dodgers aren’t ruining his career or baseball.
I bet Gavin Stone is happy to be on the Dodgers rather than banging trash can lids with the asterisks.
I just hope Kyle Hurt is okay.
No similar concern for Kyle O’Kay?!
If Cole Irvin is the answer, I’d rather not hear the question.
“Post season arm fatigue”. – seriously.
The percentage of starting pitchers that return after shoulder surgery, especially involving the capsule, is less than half of that for TJ surgery. Those that do return often have diminished performance and shorter careers than those that had TJ.
Might need to return to the days of underhand pitching. Seems overhand it hurting too many pitchers. Maybe get back to the original baseball rules where the pitcher had to place it where the batter wanted it. Also, make all the games played in Coors Field.
That’s OK, they have more. In addition to the guys mentioned in the article, Casparius and Miller both have starting experience and are on the 40-man. Should be enough to tide them over.