Few teams are dealing with as many moving parts as the Los Angeles Dodgers, but for the most part, it’s a good problem to have.
The Dodgers’ projected starting rotation read more like an All-Star team to begin the season, but injuries have affected nearly everyone to this point. Some pitchers began the year on rehab timelines, others have gotten hurt in the process, and for Tony Gonsolin, all the above.
Of all the big names in the LA rotation, though, there are only two surefire Hall of Famers: Clayton Kershaw, the three-time Cy Young Award winner, and the incomparable Shohei Ohtani, the three-time Most Valuable Player.
Dodgers fans have waited breathlessly all season for news of both pitchers’ returns to the rotations, which the team will clearly prioritize over lesser names like Gonsolin and Dustin May. Now, the answer may be becoming clearer.
On Friday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com predicted that Kershaw, who has made two rehab starts after offseason knee and toe surgeries, would return before Ohtani, who is still ramping up to pitch after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of 2023.
“I would expect the Dodgers to generally take a slower approach with rehabbing their injured pitchers, as long as there’s no pressing need to have them back,” Chen wrote. “We’ve seen that with Ohtani, Kershaw and Michael Kopech, and even with Gonsolin.
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“I would guess that Kershaw returns before Ohtani, which could mark the first tough rotation decision the Dodgers have to make. That could potentially mean shifting Gonsolin or Dustin May to long relief, an option that was on the table when both were competing for the fifth starter role in spring.”
There’s not a ton to read into there, but at the bare minimum, it seems as though any worries about Ohtani skipping the full season are being quelled. The 30-year-old is having a good-not-great start to the season at the plate, but his pitching is a far bigger point of interest.
It’s hard to know what the Dodgers can expect from either of these living legends on the mound this season. But soon enough (potentially within a couple weeks, in Kershaw’s case), those answers will start to unfold.
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