Tony Gonsolin is finally healthy enough to pitch for Kansas City, and the final week could shape what the Royals do with him in 2027.
The Kansas City Royals are finally going to see what they have in Tony Gonsolin.
The club activated the right-hander from the 15-day injured list on Monday and optioned right-hander Spencer Bivens to Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding move, clearing the way for Gonsolin to pitch in a big league game for the first time since 2025.
The Royals signed the former All-Star in August while he was still rehabbing from right elbow surgery, and the bet was always aimed at this exact window, the last week of the season with nothing to lose.
Kansas City gave Gonsolin a Major League deal for 2026 with a club option for 2027, and manager Matt Quatraro explained the appeal when the club made the signing.
"He knows what he's doing. He knows how to pitch. He could bring a lot of experience to us, and clearly we've had our fair share of injuries in the rotation, so it could be a big lift," Quatraro said.
The Long Road Back to a Mound
The resume explains the patience.
Gonsolin was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2022, going 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA for the Dodgers, but injuries have kept getting in the way ever since.
He had Tommy John surgery in September of 2023, missed all of 2024, and made just seven starts in 2025 before an internal brace procedure on the same elbow ended that season early too.
The 32-year-old worked his way back with four rehab starts at Omaha, allowed three runs over five innings in the last of them on Sept. 17, and convinced the club he was finally ready for the real thing.
Kansas City also knows these comebacks can break either way.
Reliever Carlos Estévez took a step forward in his own return this summer before a September shoulder surgery ended his season, and the banged-up pitching staff Quatraro referenced in August has spent the whole year shuttling arms on and off the injured list.
The Final Week Means More for Him
The Royals have not announced when Gonsolin will pitch.
Starter Daniel Lynch IV gets the opener against the White Sox on Tuesday night, with fellow starters Seth Lugo and Randy Dobnak lined up behind him, and Lugo will be trying to bounce back from a rough recent outing.
Whenever Gonsolin gets the ball, the games around him will mean something.
The White Sox come to Kauffman Stadium chasing Cleveland in the American League Central, the Guardians arrive Friday for the final series of the year, and a Kansas City club that keeps finding bright spots gets to play spoiler all week long.
For Gonsolin, even one strong outing would change his winter.
The club option for 2027 gives Kansas City a cheap way to keep him if the elbow looks sound, and a healthy version of the pitcher who once went 16-1 would be the best rotation addition the Royals could make without spending anything in free agency.
The last week of a lost season is where teams learn about next year, and no lesson would mean more to this team than finding out Gonsolin's elbow is finally right.
