The Dodgers announced that starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin underwent season-ending elbow surgery on Tuesday — and that wasn’t even the most troubling injury update of the day.
Instead, in what manager Dave Roberts described as the latest “big blow” to the club’s reeling bullpen, right-hander Brock Stewart was placed on the injured list with what Roberts said was shoulder inflammation.
The Dodgers are hopeful that they caught Stewart’s injury early. Both Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman expressed confidence he would be back for the stretch run of the season.
Still, Stewart was acquired at the trade deadline less than two weeks ago in order to bolster a struggling relief corps already missing Michael Kopech, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates and Brusdar Graterol. Now, just four outings into his return to the organization, Stewart represents yet another question mark for a team that has been short on answers amid a recent 12-19 skid.
“Obviously, he’s a big part of what we’re trying to do,” Roberts said. “So to not have him available hurts.”
According to Roberts, Stewart had been dealing with shoulder soreness over the last four days, coinciding with his most recent outing last Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Stewart is scheduled to be more thoroughly examined Wednesday, but Friedman noted that initial manual testing on his shoulder was encouraging.
“Sounds like we caught it at the very front end,” Friedman said. “So from our standpoint, we felt like, let’s be smart here, take him off line. We’re optimistic that he’ll be back.”
Hard-throwing right-hander Edgardo Henriquez was called up in Stewart’s place.
Stewart, who began his career as a starting pitcher with the Dodgers from 2016-2019 before reinventing himself as a hard-throwing reliever with the Minnesota Twins over the last three years, represented the Dodgers’ only bullpen upgrade at the deadline.
At the time, the lack of further action felt like a risk for a club that ranks 21st in the majors in reliever ERA this season (4.23).
But in Stewart, who was acquired at a relatively low cost, with only outfielder James Outman going back to Minnesota in return, the Dodgers’ hoped they’d not only found a right-handed replacement for Evan Phillips, who is out for the season because of a Tommy John surgery, but someone capable of shoring up one of the biggest weak spots on the roster.
“I think so much of this is about knowing the person you’re acquiring,” Friedman said. “And the history we had with Brock, obviously, was really helpful with that.”
Read more: Dodgers place starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin on the injured list
However, Stewart took a loss in his second game with the team, giving up a tie-breaking run in the ninth against the St. Louis Cardinals last week. He was tagged for another run his next time out. And though he bounced back with a scoreless inning against the Blue Jays over the weekend, his shoulder flared up, marking the third time since the start of last year that shoulder troubles have forced him onto the injured list (he twice went on the 60-day IL last year because of shoulder injuries).
“From our standpoint, we felt like the upside, and hopefully we still have the chance to realize that, far outweighed the risk,” Friedman said when asked how much concern the team had over Stewart’s injury history before acquiring him. “But yeah, definitely came with some risk. That’s where betting on the person helps. It doesn’t guarantee an outcome, but it at least increases your chances. We’re optimistic we’ll still get there.”
Indeed, the Dodgers are expecting Stewart, Kopech (who is eligible to return from the 60-day IL in about two weeks), Yates (who will throw a live batting practice Wednesday), Scott (who will throw a live BP on Thursday) and Graterol (who is still expected back from offseason shoulder surgery in September) will all be back before the end of the season.
But having so many guys battling injuries, Roberts conceded, is “an added layer of uncertainty.”
Stewart’s arrival was supposed to help quell concerns. Now, his injury has only added to their troubles.
Gonsolin out for year
In the other big injury news Tuesday, Friedman said that Gonsolin underwent an internal brace and flexor tendon surgery that will sideline him for at least the next eight to 10 months.
Out since early June because of elbow discomfort, Gonsolin was already a long shot to return this season. And given the relative health of the current rotation (as well as Roki Sasaki’s impending return from a shoulder injury), he was unlikely to factor heavily into their postseason plans.
Still, it represents yet another setback for the former All-Star right-hander, who missed the end of 2023 and all of last season with a Tommy John surgery.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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