All season long, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been bitten hard by the injury bug. They have lost a historic number of service days from their players due to injuries, and with the postseason beckoning, they continue to be shorthanded — particularly in the starting pitching department. The Dodgers currently have three members of their starting rotation on the injured list, with Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Gavin Stone all on the mend.
It's a testament to the Dodgers' organizational depth that they have managed to withstand prolonged absences from a few of their best starters. This isn't even without mentioning the injuries Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler — both of whom are currently healthy — have endured earlier in the season. But heading into the playoffs, they may have to brace for the possibility that one of their key starters is unable to make it back to the active roster.
As revealed by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, it's “very unlikely” that Gavin Stone returns later this season as he hasn't even picked up the ball yet after sustaining a shoulder injury. Roberts added that Stone is still experiencing soreness, which is very concerning since there is less than a month to go before the playoffs begin.
Following a rough cup of coffee in the big leagues last season, Stone has become one of the Dodgers' more consistent pitchers in 2024. Across 25 starts (140.1 innings of work), the 25-year-old righty has put up an ERA of 3.53 — with his peripherals backing up that level of play. Thus, according to Fangraphs, his contributions this year have been worth 2.0 WAR — a good return for a rookie pitcher that's under team control until the end of the decade.
The Dodgers organization clearly hold Stone in high regard. Only 25 years old, Stone should be a valuable contributor for the machine that is the Dodgers for years to come. His long-term health will be the priority, and to that end, as long as his shoulder is bothering him, it might be in everyone's best interest for him not to return to action, as damaging as that may be to the team's hopes of advancing deep into the postseason.
Can the Dodgers overcome their starting pitcher injury woes?
The Dodgers' injury problems involving their starting pitchers have reached the point where even the top brass in the organization is confused as to how this could happen. But indeed, the Dodgers have been stricken by a ton of misfortune on the injury front, as it appears as if no pitcher of theirs is safe.
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With Stone already unlikely to return in the postseason, he may be joining Tyler Glasnow in that regard. Glasnow is currently on the 60-day injured list with an elbow injury, and Dave Roberts has already suggested that it's unlikely for him to return to postseason action.
Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw is also nursing an injury of his own; he had to exit his last start prematurely due to a toe injury, but at the very least, he is on track to return later this year as he recently threw an extended bullpen session.
The Dodgers will have to rely on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, and Landon Knack moving forward given the uncertainty surrounding their pitching staff. Knack impressed in his last start, allowing no runs on just two hits and two walks in five innings of work in an 8-4 win over the Marlins.
