Snell taking it slow, hopes to be ready by Opening Day

LOS ANGELES -- For all the glory that comes with winning the final game on the Major League calendar, there's a physical toll that comes with making a deep postseason run. As they gear up for a three-peat bid, the Dodgers are prioritizing having their players at full strength when the games mean the most.

Starting pitcher Blake Snell, who was sidelined for four months with left shoulder inflammation in 2025, slow-played his throwing progression when discomfort in the shoulder lingered into the offseason. The left-hander hopes to be a member of the Dodgers' season-opening rotation, but he acknowledged that the slower ramp-up could delay him.

"I've been playing catch, been throwing. It feels good," Snell said on Saturday at DodgerFest. "But I'm just going to take my time. Last year, I was rushing. I wanted to pitch so bad. But I'm going to take my time. The goal is to be ready Opening Day, but I'm going to take my time. I'll know more once I'm [at Spring Training], throwing bullpens, pitching in games."

Entering 2026, the Dodgers' projected rotation at full strength is arguably the team's best and deepest in recent history:

• RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
• LHP Blake Snell
• RHP Tyler Glasnow
• RHP Shohei Ohtani
• RHP Emmet Sheehan
• RHP Roki Sasaki

Beyond those top six starters, there is plenty of depth, which would dampen the blow to the Dodgers if Snell ends up missing time to begin the season.

Right-handers Gavin Stone (right shoulder surgery) and River Ryan (Tommy John surgery) are both healthy after being out for the 2025 season. L.A. also has options such as lefty Justin Wrobleski and righties Ben Casparius and Kyle Hurt, who all could prepare for a multi-inning role during spring as further insurance.

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The possibility of starting the season down a frontline starter like Snell would be daunting for many teams, but the Dodgers are built to withstand injuries to their pitching staff. They would much rather have Snell pitch valuable innings in October rather than rush to be ready for March, one of the many lessons in workload management they've learned during their time as back-to-back champions.

"Whatever is best for Blake -- or any of our pitchers, for that matter -- we’re going to do," manager Dave Roberts said. "Where he’s at, once we get to Spring Training and how his arm feels, there's a buildup from there. If it doesn’t line up with Opening Day, the first series, then it doesn't."

Last season, three of the five members of the Dodgers' season-opening rotation missed months due to injury: Glasnow, Snell and Sasaki. Glasnow and Snell returned in July and August, respectively, and dominated down the stretch and during the postseason. There was more uncertainty with Sasaki, but he, too, was able to return in September and tap into his best stuff in a relief role.

While that trio, and other L.A. pitchers who spent time on the injured list, went through their rehab, the Dodgers preached patience. They saw no need to rush their pitchers back if it meant cutting corners in their recovery.

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In the second season of his five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers, Snell is embracing that concept. He felt that he rushed to ramp up last year, and as a result, his shoulder "never felt great." It feels much stronger after rest and physical therapy this offseason, and he is optimistic that a deliberate buildup will keep him on the field during the regular season.

"Last year, I had so much to prove," Snell said. "I got way too excited and was really pushing to get to spring, get through spring. This year, I'm going to be a little slower just in how I ramp up -- be a lot more smarter on that."

The rotation was at full strength for the final two months of last year's regular season, and the Dodgers led the Majors with a combined 2.73 ERA in that span. They were arguably the driving force behind the championship run, especially dominant through the NL Championship Series.

L.A. won back-to-back championships by getting hot and getting healthy at the right time. As such, the team isn't worried about being down a key arm in the short term if it means greater success in the long term.

"I don't know exactly where Blake's at right now," Roberts said, "but it's really not of concern, appreciating that we just got to have these guys ready as we get into the season and through the season."