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
