Dodgers Right-Hander Stone's Shoulder Injury Recurs, Hopes for Opening Day Rotation Spot Dim

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Gavin Stone had hoped to return to the team's Opening Day starting rotation after missing the entire previous season due to shoulder surgery, but a setback during spring training has cast a shadow over his prospects.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters before a game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields that Stone felt discomfort in his surgically repaired right shoulder after pitching a scoreless inning in his Cactus League spring training debut last week and following it with a bullpen session. Stone has currently been shut down from throwing, with no timetable for his return.

Last Tuesday marked Stone's first official game appearance since August 31, 2024. He underwent right shoulder reconstruction surgery that October, causing him to miss two World Series. Stone was considered fully healthy before the start of spring training this year, but he had mentioned that recovery after pitching sessions remained a challenge.

“The recovery is the hardest part, especially during spring training,” Stone said after his start last week. “The live BPs, the bullpen days, feeling good today, but the recovery is still tough.”

Before his injury in 2024, Stone was having a breakout season. He led the Dodgers with 140.1 innings pitched and a 3.53 ERA. This season, he aimed to recapture that form. Stone was originally a contender for a rotation spot; now, losing a depth option has ironically clarified the Dodgers' pool of available starters for Opening Day.

With Blake Snell highly unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow are the only two confirmed members of the starting rotation. Shohei Ohtani will also be in the Opening Day rotation, but he is not expected to handle a full starter's workload immediately. This leaves roughly two or three spots open, with Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and River Ryan as the primary candidates.

All four pitchers have a chance to make the Opening Day roster. According to Roberts' previous comments, Sasaki and Sheehan were leading the competition for rotation spots, but they need to earn their places with their spring training performances. Sasaki showed inconsistency in his Cactus League debut, while Sheehan's progress was slightly delayed by an illness early in camp, though he is expected to make his first appearance this week. Wrobleski started spring training strongly, and Ryan, despite command issues in his first outing since Tommy John surgery, pitched a scoreless inning last week.

Roberts has indicated that the Dodgers might employ a hybrid rotation strategy early in the season. This could involve using a core of five regular starters while keeping multiple long relievers in the bullpen to make spot starts during heavy stretches of the schedule. This approach would also allow them to pair a follower with Ohtani in his initial starts to help him gradually build up his innings.

Stone was originally a candidate for that versatile role, capable of starting or providing long relief. If he can return to game action before the end of spring training, he might still have a chance to compete for an Opening Day roster spot. For now, however, the Dodgers must proceed by temporarily excluding him from their plans and relying on their accumulated pitching depth.