LOS ANGELES -- Two days after he exited a start following just one inning due to left groin tightness, Blake Snell threw from 90 feet on the field at Dodger Stadium prior to Friday’s series opener against the Giants. He emerged feeling good, with the Dodgers believing they avoided the worst with an injury that’s been a recurring issue throughout the left-hander’s career.
“Happy that we caught it early,” said manager Dave Roberts, who noted that Snell was not sent to receive any imaging.
The Dodgers remain optimistic that the two-time Cy Young Award winner will make another regular-season start sometime during their remaining nine games. The specific day is to be determined -- his regular spot in the rotation would come up during L.A.’s three-game series vs. San Diego that begins on Tuesday -- but he is not expected to pitch with any limitations.
“I think it'd be more of a normal start,” said Roberts. “Maybe not pushing him a ton, given that we don't know how the season's going to play out. But this will be his last regular-season start, so I think it'd be more of a regular start.”
Snell began the season on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder fatigue, not making his season debut until May 9. He almost immediately went back on the IL due to loose bodies in his left elbow, which were removed using the NanoNeedle Scope procedure. Since returning on Aug. 11, Snell has looked like he hasn’t missed a beat, pitching to a 1.01 ERA over seven starts, with 47 strikeouts and 14 walks in 35 2/3 innings.
For a pitcher who shares a rotation with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal, Snell is an absolutely vital part of the Dodgers’ postseason rotation plans. Should his condition worsen, the Dodgers’ starting pitching depth suddenly looks pretty thin. There’s Tyler Glasnow, who started on Friday against San Francisco but has dealt with injury issues of his own this year. Roki Sasaki (out since Aug. 27 with a right middle finger blister) is also expected to return soon for one final regular-season start.
Given Snell’s history of pitching well following long layoffs from Major League action, have the Dodgers given any consideration to letting him skip his next start, continuing to rest and waiting to have him pitch again once postseason games get underway?
“There is a thought,” said Roberts. “But you're still talking about a potential 17 days, something like that -- that's a long time to not be in competition. Where typically, with his history, you still have rehabs and things like that. So it's just not kind of a plug-and-play, sit it out for two weeks and pitch in a playoff game.”