After dealing with injuries for the past few years, former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin will get a fresh start with the Kansas City Royals. Gonsolin, 32, signed a one-year major-league deal with a club option for 2027 with the Royals on Thursday.The team made the signing official in the evening, while also announcing that he had been placed on the 15-day injured list. Gonsolin had internal brace surgery last summer and is still completing his recovery. To make room for Gonsolin on the 40-man roster, right-hander Eli Morgan was designated for assignment.Gonsolin was drafted by the Dodgers in the ninth round in 2016 and made his debut with L.A. in 2019. He was part of the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series title-winning team. He had his best season in 2022, making the All-Star team and pitching in the Midsummer Classic in front of the hometown fans at Dodger Stadium. He finished that season 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA. With the Dodgers, Gonsolin was 37-13 with a 3.34 ERA in 86 appearances (411 2/3 innings).
His success as a Dodger was a highlight of the franchise’s player development strategy of turning intriguing mid-round draft picks into top pitching prospects. Gonsolin was a two-way player at Saint Mary’s College, where he and Corbin Burnes were teammates. As his college coaches later recalled, Gonsolin didn’t even know how to properly throw a bullpen session. After dedicating himself to pitching, Gonsolin emerged as a hard-throwing starter.Health was an issue for his last few seasons with L.A., however. His 2023 campaign was marred by elbow discomfort, as he pitched through an injured ulnar collateral ligament that ultimately required Tommy John surgery and cost him the 2024 season. He dealt with a back injury during spring training last year and then returned for seven starts before requiring another surgery, this time to revise his Tommy John procedure and repair his flexor tendon.Los Angeles designated him for assignment in November 2025, and he went unclaimed, becoming a free agent. His stint with the Royals will be his first time with a different organization.It isn’t clear when Gonsolin will pitch this season, but it’s likely he ramps up at the team’s minor-league complex in Surprise, Ariz., before making rehab appearances in minor-league games. If the Royals are able to help Gonsolin get back to being even a shell of the pitcher he once was, there’s the chance for a career resurgence.
