LA (Associated Press): The next in a season-long string of injuries to Los Angeles’ rotation will be pitcher Tony Gonsolin of the Dodgers, who will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Friday.

The Dodgers announced before Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks that Gonsolin will have his right ruptured ulnar collateral ligament repaired by head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Friday.

In 20 starts this season, the 29-year-old right-hander went 8-5 with a 4.98 ERA. After giving up a career-high 10 earned runs and five home runs in 3 1/3 innings against Miami the previous night, he was put on the disabled list on August 19.

Gonsolin has spent the whole of the season suffering from an elbow problem, according to manager Dave Roberts.

“It is something he was dealing with, but there was a point where he felt he could get hitters out until he couldn’t,” said Roberts. He had no symptoms. He could pitch right now, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Gonsolin received escalators that increased his pay to $5.4 million in 2024 from his $3.25 million salary this year. His 14th start netted him $500,000, and the following two each brought in another $500,000.

“I believe that was the impetus to pitch, and I can relate to and comprehend from a player’s viewpoint. He would be in the same situation if we had terminated this procedure a month ago, according to Roberts. “We were running through some guys, and he felt he wanted to keep pitching and help his team.”

Despite each member of their season-opening rotation spending time on the IL, Los Angeles leads the NL West by 12 games and is still on track to avoid participating in the wild card round.

The starters for the Dodgers had completed the third-fewest innings in the National League heading into Monday’s game. The 4.48 ERA of their starters ranks ninth out of the 15 NL teams.

Gonsolin will miss the playoffs for the second time in a row. He was out for the final five weeks of last year due to a right forearm issue.

Since the beginning of last season, three Dodgers starters have needed Tommy John surgery, including Gonsolin. On July 18, right-hander Dustin May underwent surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon.

Walker Buehler underwent reconstructive elbow surgery in August of last year and has not pitched this year. The right-hander had hoped to make a late-season comeback, but he has only completed one inning of action in the Arizona Complex League.