Bullpen thin again as Stewart goes on IL

Shoulder inflammation sidelines the reliever while Gonsolin is gone for season after latest elbow surgery.

- By Jack HarRIs

GINA FERAZZI Los Angeles Times

DODGERS RELIEVER Brock Stewart was acquired from the Twins at the July 31 trade deadline.

The Dodgers announced that starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin underwent season-ending elbow surgery on Tuesday — and that wasn’t even the most troubling injury update of the day.

Instead, in what manager Dave Roberts described as the latest “big blow” to the club’s reeling bullpen, right-hander Brock Stewart was placed on the injured list with what Roberts said was shoulder inflammation.

The Dodgers are hopeful that they caught Stewart's injury early. Both Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman expressed confidence he would be back for the stretch run of the season.

Still, Stewart was acquired at the trade deadline less than two weeks ago in order to bolster a struggling relief corps already missing Michael Kopech, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates and Brusdar Graterol. Now, just four outings into his return to the organization, Stewart represents yet another question mark for a team that has been short on answers amid a recent 12-20 skid after Tuesday’s 7-6 loss to the Angels.

“Obviously, he’s a big part of what we're trying to do,” Roberts said. “So to not have him available hurts.”