The Los Angeles Dodgers may start the 2026 MLB season without two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell.
After a postseason in which he started five games and played in six, including three appearances in the World Series, Snell has been dealing with a lingering shoulder issue that kept him out for four months last year. And while it would certainly be nice to have Snell in the rotation by Opening Day, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't seem too worried whether his return takes a bit longer than that.
“Time's ticking, but like I told him the other day, Opening Day is not necessarily a hard and fast target for us,” Roberts said, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo, who said there was “no real update on Blake Snell other than he's throwing off flat ground.”
Snell, 33, signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers before last season. But, like many of the L.A. pitchers, Snell dealt with an injury that kept him out of the rotation for an extended period.
Following his second start for the Dodgers, Snell went on the injured list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Four months later, in August, he returned and made nine starts before the end of the regular season. He finished the year with a 2.35 ERA and 2.69 FIP.
In the postseason, he proved to be invaluable to the Dodgers, particularly before the World Series; in 21 innings pitched between the Wild Card, NLDS, and NLCS, Snell allowed six hits and two runs, recording a 0.86 ERA. He also made the most starts of any pitcher on staff, tying with World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and in the seven-game World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, his team relied on him three times.
He started Game 1, which went relatively poorly for him and L.A., as the Jays hung five runs on him in an 11-4 loss. Much of the same happened in Game 5, as the Dodgers lost 6-1 after Snell allowed two home runs and five earned runs in 6.2 innings.
His final appearance in the World Series turned out to be his best and most important, as he started the eighth inning after the Dodgers pulled within a run. In 1.1 innings, Snell allowed one hit, one walk, and no runs, allowing L.A. a chance to tie the game up in the ninth, which is exactly what happened when Miguel Rojas hit a solo homer.
It was the first World Series victory for Snell, who, as a part of the Tampa Bay Rays, lost to the Dodgers in the World Series in 2020.
