Dodgers place starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin on IL with right forearm strain

Mere hours before he was slated to start against the Miami Marlins tonight, Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain. Rookie Michael Grove will start in his place.

While this is scary news for the Dodgers — forearm strains can be precursors to more significant arm injuries — manager Dave Roberts didn’t sound too concerned about the ailment when asked about it this afternoon. He said he thinks Gonsolin will be ready to return once he’s eligible on Sept. 10.

Gonsolin has had a full-fledged breakout season in his age-28 campaign. He leads the National League in wins (16), ERA (2.10) and WHIP (0.86). He also has the best opponents’ batting average (.169) and hits-per-nine rate (5.2) in the majors among all qualified starters. He is critical to the Dodgers’ run toward a second World Series championship in the past three years, especially with ace Walker Buehler out for the foreseeable future following Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers have the shortest odds to win the Fall Classic at +350, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

The good news for the Dodgers is, as one of their top starters goes down, another one appears set to get back on the mound. Clayton Kershaw has been out for the past three weeks due to low back pain, but Roberts said the future Hall of Famer will start either Thursday against the Mets or Friday against the Padres.