The Dodgers announced on Wednesday that Tony Gonsolin was outrighted and selected free agency and Ben Rortvedt was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds. Since there was no indication that Rortvedt had
been designated for assignment, the Dodgers’ 40-man roster is now down to 39.
A sixth round draft pick out of St. Mary’s College of California in 2016, Gonsolin made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 2019. He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2020 and he was a part of the Dodgers’ rotation during their 2020 championship run. Gonsolin fully broke out with his first and only All-Star campaign, posting a 16-1 record and a 2.14 ERA over 24 starts.
Gonsolin failed to find any success on the mound after 2022, as he posted a 4.98 ERA across just 103 innings in 2023. His final start that season came against the Miami Marlins, where he allowed 10 runs before it was revealed that he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery, wiping out his entire 2024 season.
Gonsolin made his return on the mound on April 30 against the Miami Marlins, and he managed to start six more games before going back on the injured list on June 7 due to right elbow discomfort. Gonsolin then underwent right elbow surgery in mid-August, effectively ending his 2025 season, and was most recently designated for assignment on Nov. 6 where he went unclaimed.
Rortvedt was acquired by the Dodgers in a deadline deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, and spent a month with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets. After a foul ball fractured Will Smith’s right hand while the Dodgers were in Pittsburgh, Rortvedt was called up to platoon with Dalton Rushing behind the plate in Smith’s absence. In 18 games with the Dodgers during the regular season, Rortvedt was fairly productive offensively, slashing .224/.309/.327 with a home run and four RBI across 58 plate appearances. He started both games of the Wild Card series against the Reds but was relegated to the bench once Smith returned for the NLDS, getting just one at-bat against the Phillies. He did not touch the field for the remaining duration of the postseason.
