Dodgers’ Michael Grove Out for 2025 After Shoulder Surgery

According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the Dodgers will be adding another pitcher to the injury list.

Right-handed pitcher Michael Grove underwent shoulder surgery which will see him out of contention for the entirety of the 2025 season. The announcement came after he was sighted leaving the Dodgers’ clubhouse with his right arm in a sling, giving visual confirmation to the setback that had been brewing since 2024.

The 28-year-old’s season ended abruptly last year during Game 2 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres. He had faced just two batters — allowing a HR to Xander Bogaerts before striking out Jake Cronenworth. He was then pulled due to shoulder discomfort, and the Dodgers moved to replace him on the roster with Ben Casparius.

Despite winning the World Series last year, Grove’s injury suffered in 2024 had lingered into the offseason, with Dave Roberts commenting that it would be “unlikely” that he would be ready for the season opener on March 18th in Tokyo, Japan. The slight delay, however, has now boiled into a full-season loss.

His shoulder injury marks his second major procedure, with the first being Tommy John surgery in 2017 while at West Virginia University. Despite that early setback, the Dodgers chose to move ahead with drafting him in the second round in 2018. He fully transitioned to the bullpen in 2024, posting a 5.12 ERA across 51 innings in 39 appearances. His stats underwhelm on the surface, but his 3.87 FIP and strikeout rate of 23.2% suggest untapped potential underneath.

He joins a growing injury list for the Dodgers: Gavin Stone, River Ryan, and Kyle Hurt are also sidelined for 2025, and Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, and Brusdar Graterol face uncertain starts. Shohei Ohtani, who was widely expected to begin pitching in 2025, has now pumped the brakes on his Dodgers mound debut.

It’s then fortuitous that the Dodgers have been aggressively adding to their pitching in the offseason. Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott, and Kirby Yates all remain major options even with the bullpen’s depth taking a hit. Grove’s ability for eating innings (14 of his 39 outings in 2024 exceeded one inning) is not easily replaceable. With bullpen spots still open, the likes of Casparius, Jack Dreyer, Luis Garcia, and Giovanny Gallegos will compete to secure the final slots.

“He’s disappointed,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “He’s already had Tommy John and didn’t want to do another surgery. He tried to tough it out and pitch through it, but it was just compromising his performance and recovery.”