A promising pitcher suffers a ‘failure’ injury, gets shut down
Gavin Stone spent 18 months recovering from a serious shoulder injury before playing in a spring training game against the Cleveland Guardians last week. However, he didn’t have much time to enjoy his return. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts discovered that he is right-handed suffered a failure and is closing, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. It is not yet known when he will resume throwing.
Stone had two strikeouts and no runs in his one inning of work, indicating he’s feeling pretty good after a long layoff. His body, however, did not react well. The 27-year-old experienced pain in his surgically repaired shoulder and will now have to undergo another period of recovery. Given that it’s already March, the prospect of him returning and returning in time for Opening Day seems unlikely.
The Dodgers starting rotation is but down Blake Snellwho is dealing with his own shoulder problem after being one of the club’s workhorses in the 2025 playoffs, so the news about Stone is obviously disappointing. LA has other pitchers who can potentially slide into a bigger role. Emmett Sheehan is a logical choice after posting a sub-3.00 ERA in 73 1/3 innings last season, and River Ryan and Justin Wrobleski could also compete for a rotation spot, according to Plunkett.
Despite the depth the Boys in Blue possess, this is clearly a brutal situation for Gavin Stone. The 2020 fifth-round pick was putting the finishing touches on a promising 2024 season before the accident happened. He was 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 140 1/3 innings. Stone has been itching to get back on the mound, and now he’ll have to force himself to be patient again.
The Dodgers are focused on becoming the third MLB franchise to win the World Series in three consecutive years, but they certainly feel for their struggling pitcher.
2026-03-02 21:10:00
