Right-hander Gavin Stone entered Spring Training determined to reestablish himself in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation after missing last season following shoulder reconstruction surgery. Instead, a fresh setback has stalled that momentum.

As first reported by Sonja Chen of MLB.com, Stone has been shut down from throwing after experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired right shoulder.

The issue surfaced after he logged a scoreless inning in his Cactus League debut and followed it with a bullpen session. Manager Dave Roberts said there is currently no timetable for when Stone will resume his throwing program.

The outing marked Stone’s first game appearance since Aug. 31, 2024.

He underwent surgery that October and was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Dodgers made consecutive World Series runs.

Coming into camp, Stone had been considered fully healthy, but he acknowledged that bouncing back between heavy throwing days remained difficult.

“The recovering part of it has been the hardest, especially going through Spring Training,” Stone said after last week’s start. “The days that I’ve thrown [live batting practice], bullpens -- today felt great, but the recovery part is still a grind.”

Before the injury cut short his 2024 season, Stone was emerging as one of the club’s most reliable starters. He led Los Angeles with 140 1/3 innings pitched and posted a 3.53 ERA, solidifying himself as a key piece of the staff.

His goal this spring was to return to that level and compete for a spot in the Opening Day rotation.

Now, the Dodgers must adjust.

With Blake Snell unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, only Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow are fully built up as traditional starters.

Shohei Ohtani is expected to take a turn in the rotation, though he may initially work shorter outings as he continues building arm strength.

That leaves several candidates, including Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and River Ryan, competing to fill the remaining spots.

Roberts has previously suggested Sasaki and Sheehan may have an early edge, though performance this spring will ultimately determine the final alignment.

Los Angeles could also consider a flexible approach early in the year, leaning on long relievers and spot starters during stretches with fewer off-days.

Stone may have factored into that hybrid role, but for now, the Dodgers must move forward without him while he works through another frustrating chapter in his recovery.

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