Blake Snell, who has recorded a lackluster 11.57 ERA across three starts thus far with the San Francisco Giants in 2024, is reportedly being placed on the 15-day IL, the team announced. Snell is dealing with a left adductor strain, and the IL move is retroactive to April 23. Right-handed pitcher Landen Roupp was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
The reigning National League Cy Young winner did not sign with the Giants until late spring training following a long and disappointing free agency. He ultimately had a late start to the season as a result, and has struggled immensely to begin his Giants career.
Command had been an issue for Snell in the past, but walks have not been the primary concern in 2024. In fact, he has allowed just five base-on-balls so far in 2024. In 2023, despite winning the NL Cy Young award, Snell walked a league-leading 99 batters.
So why has Snell struggled in San Francisco up to this point?
For his career, Snell has struck out just under 30 percent of the hitters he has faced, per Baseball Reference. In 2024, Snell has recorded just a 20.7 percent strikeout rate. He's just not missing many bats, as hitters are slashing .340/.397/.547/.944 against him.
Perhaps this injury has played a role in his struggles. Or, the fact that he did not get a proper spring training has negatively impacted him. Starting the season late is never an easy thing to do.
Regardless, Snell will now head to the injured list. It is uncertain how much time he will miss as of this story's writing.
Blake Snell's frustrating 2024 after stellar 2023 season
Snell was fantastic in 2023 despite losing command of the strike zone at times. He finished the year with a league-leading 2.25 ERA. It is not often that a starting pitcher leads the league in ERA and walks, but that is exactly what Snell, who pitched for the San Diego Padres in 2023, managed to accomplish.
Snell also struck out 31.5 percent of the batters he faced. His ability to escape trouble on a consistent basis was a product of his elite strikeout prowess.
In a lot of ways, Snell's three starts in April have been his spring training. He even admitted that his 2024 regular season debut felt “weird.”
The Giants and Snell will certainly be hopeful that he can return as soon as possible and find his footing on a big league mound once again. When Snell is on top of his game, he is one of the best pitchers in the entire sport. Inconsistency and injuries have impacted him over the years, however.
We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Blake Snell's injury status and the Giants as they are made available.
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