After spending 18 months on the sidelines, Tony Gonsolin finally took the mound again in a competitive setting, marking a significant step in his return from Tommy John surgery. In the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 7-3 exhibition loss to the Chicago Cubs, Gonsolin pitched a scoreless first inning, giving up a leadoff single before striking out Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong with his signature split-fingered fastball.

“Overall, I felt pretty good,” Gonsolin said after his outing. “It was cool to be back in a real game. I thought the fastball execution could be a little bit better, but I threw a couple of good splitties, sliders, and curveballs. Overall, just good results.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts echoed that sentiment, praising Gonsolin’s command and sharpness despite the long layoff.

“I thought the command was good, the throw was good … he just looks sharp right now,” Roberts said. “I think he’s in a really good spot. Given what he’s been through the last calendar year, I think he’s going to have a really good season.”

The bumpy road back to the Dodgers and fighting for a rotation spot

Gonsolin’s last major league appearance was a disaster. On August 18, 2023, he gave up 10 earned runs in 3 ⅓ innings against the Miami Marlins. After that game, Roberts revealed that Gonsolin had been pitching through an arm injury for four to six weeks. Eventually, he underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery, missing the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series-winning campaign.

Last fall, Gonsolin attempted to fast-track his return to help the injury-depleted Dodgers in the postseason. He made three rehab starts in Triple-A and threw simulated games through October. However, the team ultimately decided not to activate him, and the rotation held up en route to a World Series victory over the Yankees.

“I think we were pretty close,” Gonsolin admitted. “I had talks with [general manager Brandon] Gomes and Andrew [Friedman, president of baseball operations] about it. Everything played out, and they didn’t have to use me. It turned out well.”

Now that he’s fully healthy, Gonsolin faces a new challenge: earning a spot in the rotation. With the additions of Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers have an embarrassment of pitching riches. Gonsolin is now competing with Dustin May—who is also returning from injury—for the final spot in the rotation.

“Maybe a little bit,” Gonsolin admitted when asked if he feels overlooked this spring. “Just trying to go out there and compete and see what happens.” While Gonsolin may have fallen down the depth chart, Roberts hasn’t forgotten his past success.

“We just can’t forget how good Tony has been for us when he’s healthy,” Roberts said. “So I’m certainly not sleeping on Tony. I think he’s going to be good for us.” If his first outing is any indication, Gonsolin is ready to prove he belongs in the Dodgers’ stacked rotation once again.