Gavin Stone spent 18 months recovering from a serious shoulder injury before pitching in a spring training game versus the Cleveland Guardians last week. He did not have much time to enjoy his return, however. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that the right-hander suffered a setback and is being shut down, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. It is currently unknown when he will resume throwing.
Stone recorded two strikeouts and allowed no runs in his one inning of work, indicating that he was feeling fairly good after the long layoff. His body did not respond well, though. The 27-year-old experienced pain in his surgically-repaired shoulder and will now have to undergo another recovery period. Considering it is already March, the chances of him ramping back up and returning in time for Opening Day seem unlikely.
The Dodgers' starting rotation is already down Blake Snell, who is dealing with his own shoulder issue after being one of the club's workhorses in the 2025 playoffs, so the Stone news is obviously disappointing. LA has other pitchers who can potentially slide into a bigger role, however. Emmet Sheehan is a logical choice since he tallied a sub-3.00 ERA in 73 1/3 innings last season, and River Ryan and Justin Wrobleski could also challenge for a rotation spot, per Plunkett.
Despite the depth the Boys in Blue possess, this is clearly a brutal situation for Gavin Stone. The 2020 fifth-round draft pick was putting the finishing touches on a promising 2024 season before misfortune struck. He was 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 140 1/3 innings pitched. Stone had been itching to get back on the mound, and now, he will have to force himself to be patient once again.
The Dodgers are focused on becoming the third MLB franchise to win the World Series in three consecutive years, but they are surely empathizing with their embattled hurler.
