Getty
(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers, like every other MLB team, are gearing towards a long season. Considering the Dodgers won the World Series last year, and Blake Snell gave heroic performances all the way to the Fall Classic, there is a bit of a rest, ‘hangover’ process that many pitchers endure after winning a title. Snell has notably been dealing with a shoulder injury, and it will likely land him on the Injured List to start the 2026 season.
According to multiple reports, Dodgers’ ace southpaw Blake Snell is dealing with a ‘cranky’ shoulder and is about six weeks away from being ready to pitch.
More MLB on Heavy: Red Sox Sign Danny Coulombe to One-Year Deal in MLB Free Agency
Blake Snell Set to Miss Beginning of Dodgers Season
Getty(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
If you know and understand Blake Snell’s trajectory as a starter in the regular season, this injury news should come as no surprise. Snell threw his first BP today in Dodgers’ spring camp, but it was then reported after that he will be sidelined to start the season.
Last season, the first year of a five-year, $137 million deal, Snell got injured just a handful of starts into the season and came back in August ready to roll. Snell posted a 2.35 ERA over 61.1 innings and 11 starts in 2025, and had one of the more dominant postseasons in recent memory.
Snell did not give up a run in either the NLDS or NLCS en route to Los Angeles’s back-to-back World Series victory. The two-time CY Young’s timeline shouldn’t be a concern for the Dodgers, but they will need some fill-in options to be productive in Snell’s absence.
More MLB on Heavy: Yankees Get Strong Take on $70 Million Infielder’s Contract Situation
Will Blake Snell’s Injury Impact the Dodgers?
This injury isn’t likely to hurt the Dodgers too much in the long run, as they have names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Emmett Sheehan to pick up Snell’s slack in the rotation.
And as noted, Snell only made two starts at the beginning of last season before missing four to five months with a shoulder bug, and then he returned dominant as ever. The Dodgers shouldn’t be worried about this slight Snell inconvenience.
It will be interesting to see though if LA makes another small signing for another veteran starter that could make a handful of starts.
This isn’t uncommon with Blake Snell, either. He’s had plenty of years where he hasn’t been fully healthy to either start a season or endure some sort of injury that sidelines him during the year. Los Angeles didn’t sign him to make 30 starts; they started him to pitch in October.
More MLB on Heavy: Braves-Blue Jays Trade Pitch Sends $131 Million Starter to Atlanta for 3.60 Southpaw Reliever
More Heavy on Dodgers
Loading more stories
