The Dodgers are finally closing in on a return for Gavin Stone, and the right-hander could be back in the mix before the regular season ends.
Stone, who missed the entire 2025 season after shoulder surgery in October 2024, is set to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Los Angeles is taking the cautious route, but the timeline leaves open the possibility of a September return.
Stone’s comeback has been a long time coming. He had been one of the names viewed as part of the Dodgers’ future rotation plans before the injury wiped out his season. In 2024, he led the team with 25 starts and posted a 3.53 ERA across 140.1 innings.
That season also included a notable milestone: Stone became the first Dodgers rookie pitcher to throw a complete game since Hyun Jin Ryu in 2013.
A social media update from Salt Lake said both Bobby Miller and Stone had joined Oklahoma City after rehabbing injuries all season, with Miller scheduled to pitch Wednesday and Stone on Thursday. It would be Stone’s first game in nearly two calendar years.
The Dodgers’ rotation is crowded, especially after the club acquired Tarik Skubal, but Stone would still add useful depth. Los Angeles also brought in left-hander Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals, though he remains on the 60-day injured list while recovering from elbow and shoulder injuries.
Injuries have already tested the Dodgers’ starters this year, and Stone could help steady things. The team has said Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound this year, but there is no guarantee. Stone could serve as a placeholder if Ohtani needs more time, and he could also give the Dodgers another option to manage workloads heading toward the playoffs.
The club has also been without Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, though both are expected back within the next few weeks.
For Los Angeles, getting Stone back at all is a win. If he looks anything like the pitcher he was before the surgery, the Dodgers may be facing some real postseason roster choices down the stretch.
In Other News...
Freddie Freeman's Cubs Exit Just Added To A Dangerous Dodgers Problem
Freddie Freemans day against the Cubs took an unsettling turn in the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Dodgers first baseman came out of the game after adding to his 15-game hitting streak. Freeman has been one of the steadiest bats in Los Angeles lineup all season, hitting .310, so any interruption to his routine is worth watching closely for a club that leans heavily on his production.
The concern arrived on an awkward check swing, and the Dodgers had to turn to Kik Hernndez at first base to finish the inning. For a team already trying to keep its offense and lineup intact down the stretch, even a brief scare involving Freeman carries extra weight, especially when the next update is the one everyone will be waiting on. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Farm System Is Suddenly Full Of Names Fans Need To Track
The Dodgers farm system had one of those busy nights that can make the organizational depth chart feel like it is changing by the hour. Across the affiliates, the games were wide open and the scoreboard kept moving, with no club on either side of the system held under six runs or allowed fewer than that, while the bigger headline remained the steady stream of familiar names working their way back and the constant churn of roster moves keeping multiple levels in motion.
Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both continued their rehab work, giving the system a pair of rotation arms to monitor as they move through the final stages of their ramp-up. Around them, the Dodgers shuffled players up and down the ladder with demotions and activations touching several affiliates, a reminder that the minor leagues are doing double duty right now as both a development pipeline and a temporary holding pattern for the big-league clubs injuries. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers First Skubal Look Raised A Bigger Question Than Fans Expected
The Dodgers got their first look at Tarik Skubal and came away with more to think about than the scoreboard alone. Chicago beat Los Angeles 5-1, with Javier Assad taking the win and a Cubs bullpen that included Ryan Rolison helping shut the door after Assad exited. The game had the feel of a measuring-stick night for a Dodgers club trying to see how its lineup stacked up against a frontline arm, only for the Cubs to grab control with steady pitching and timely power.
Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner provided the biggest swings for Chicago, each homering as the Cubs built enough separation to keep Los Angeles at arm's length. After Assad left, the Dodgers were held hitless the rest of the way, a detail that will linger for a team still sorting out what this matchup revealed about the gap it has to close. [Read more 🡒]