Gavin

Stone

Stone is aiming to progress to throwing off a bullpen mound at some point within the next month. The 27-year-old will open the regular season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation but the positive news here is that additional testing didn’t reveal any structural damage and he’ll begin ramping up his throwing program in the coming weeks. It seems like he’s going to miss at least a few months, if not longer, to open the year.

That’s good news for the Dodgers, even if Stone won’t be ready for the beginning of the season. He’ll rest for a couple of weeks, and he’ll probably start off on the injured list before being optioned to Triple-A once healthy.

Stone is working his way back after missing all of 2025 due to shoulder surgery, and he was impressive in his first spring outing. Unfortunately, the setback means it’s likely the 25-year-old will need to miss the start of the regular season. There should be further updates on Stone’s situation in the coming weeks.

Stone’s secondary pitches were all down in the velocity department, but his six fastballs averaged 94.9 mph, which is right where he was when he went 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 25 starts as a rookie in 2024. It’d be great for the Dodgers’ pitching depth if he returns to that form.

Stone appears on track for a normal spring ramp up after missing last season while recovering from shoulder surgery. The track record is a bit checkered for pitchers coming off major shoulder procedures so fantasy managers should keep an eye on his velocity and command during Cactus League exhibition outings. He’ll presumably be in the mix for a swingman-type role with the Dodgers, if his stuff bounces back to pre-surgery levels.

Stone will miss the entire 2025 season after undergoing shoulder surgery back in October. The track record for pitchers coming back from major shoulder procedures is a bit more checkered than elbow surgeries, which complicates his long-term outlook. The procedural move frees up a spot on Los Angeles’ 40-man roster for utility specialist Kiké Hernández.

Ouch. Stone was excellent before hurting his shoulder last month, going 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA and a 116/37 K/BB in 140 1/3 innings over 25 starts. The Dodgers could have Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May back to join Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Bobby Miller, but with so many question marks, adding pitching is going to have to be a priority this winter.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters last week that Stone’s season was likely over, but now it’s official. The Dodgers transferred him to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster for top prospect Edgardo Henriquez to be called up prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Padres.

Very unfortunate. Stone wasn’t going to be the NL Rookie of the Year this year even if he didn’t get hurt, but he was putting together a season that would have had him in contention many years. He was 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 140 1/3 innings when he went down Aug. 31.

If everything goes perfectly, perhaps Stone will make one appearance during the final week of the regular season. The Dodgers, though, are really aiming for the postseason here.