Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect Nick Frasso is expected to miss the 2024 season after undergoing shoulder surgery in November to repair a torn labrum, according to J.P. Hoornstra of LA Sports Report. Frasso’s recovery timeline ranges from eight to 12 months.
Frasso, 25, figured to be in the Dodgers’ big-league plans at some point this year. Last season, he amassed a 3.77 ERA and a 3.45 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 25 starts across Double- and Triple-A. His 93 innings pitched represented a new personal high, as he’s dealt with various injuries throughout his career.
Frasso is/was considered by CBS Sports to be the No. 2 prospect in the Dodgers system. Here’s what we wrote in our not-yet-published report:
Frasso was part of the return the Dodgers fetched from the Blue Jays for Mitch White back in August 2022. (Remember that one? Hopefully not.) He’s long and lean and funky, complete with some Dustin May-like pirouette on his follow through. Frasso has a starter’s arsenal, including a sinker that can get into the upper 90s and the Dodgers’ patented sweeper, and good control. Given that he’s already 25, it would be fair to wonder why the Dodgers haven’t dropped him into their rotation. The answer is durability. He barely pitched in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic and elbow surgery. He’s since thrown just shy of 150 innings, setting a new career-high with 93 frames. Provided Frasso stays healthy, he’s certain to debut sometime early in the year. The question here isn’t if he can contribute in a meaningful way, it’s more whether his body will enable him to do so as a starter or if he’ll need to convert to being a reliever.
The Dodgers have had a busy offseason on the pitching front. They’ve signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto and James Paxton and traded for Tyler Glasnow. (The Dodgers also added Shohei Ohtani, though he won’t pitch in 2024.) Those individuals join a group of youngsters that include Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Landon Knack, and Kyle Hurt, among others.
Additionally, Los Angeles added one more name to its non-roster invitee collection this week, inking former San Diego Padres right-hander Dinelson Lamet to a minor-league deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
In other words, the Dodgers should be well positioned to weather Frasso’s unfortunate absence.
