Marco Gonzales's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Marco Gonzales (elbow) will undergo surgery to fix a flexor tendon in his left elbow in September and is expected to have a recovery timetable of nine to 12 months. It's bad news for a 32-year-old who already had surgery on the same elbow for a nerve issue last August. Gonzales was actually ready on time for the start of the 2024 season but predictably underwhelmed in his seven starts, going 1-1 with a 4.54 ERA (4.71 FIP), a 1.60 WHIP and a very weak 15.2% strikeout rate in just 33 2/3 innings pitched on the season. He's most likely going to miss at least the first half of the 2025 campaign and will be a free agent this fall once the Pirates turn down his $15 million club option. Gonzales probably isn't going to have many suitors this winter and will need to prove his health next summer before probably having to settle for a minor-league deal somewhere.

The Pittsburgh Pirates activated left-hander Marco Gonzales (forearm) from the 60-day injured list on Friday and designated right-hander Brent Honeywell for assignment in a corresponding move to make room for Gonzales on the active roster. Gonzales will immediately return to the starting rotation and take the hill in an excellent matchup on the road against the Chicago White Sox. The 32-year-old southpaw has been out since April with a left-forearm strain and struggled in his only two minor-league rehab appearances with a 6.14 ERA in 7 1/3 innings, so although the matchup is a great one, he'll still be a pretty risky streaming option in deeper fantasy leagues in his first start back in the big leagues. Before his injury early on, Gonzales allowed only five earned runs on 15 hits (one homer) while walking five and striking out 11 in 17 innings in just three starts.

Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Marco Gonzales (forearm) will begin his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. Gonzales has been cleared to pitch in a game finally after three weeks of throwing off a mound. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw was originally sidelined in mid-April with a left-forearm strain but is now getting closer to returning to the Pirates' starting rotation. Even if he doesn't encounter a setback during his rehab assignment, Gonzales is likely to need a handful of rehab starts and probably won't be an option for the Bucs again until after the mid-July All-Star break. Gonzales started off nicely in his first year in Pittsburgh by posting a 2.65 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in three starts before going on the injured list, but his 17.6% strikeout rate in 10 big-league seasons leaves a lot to be desired from a fantasy perspective.