Friday, February 27, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

The news that Blake Snell will probably miss the Opening Day roster is sending waves through Los Angeles. People shouldn’t panic because it’s not earth-scattering.

At 33, when healthy, Snell is one of the elite left-handed starters in the major leagues. He has earned two Cy Young Awards, one in both leagues. He has a no-hitter. During the 2025 NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, he came one inning from having a one-hitter, facing the minimum.

During his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and the Dodgers, Snell owns one of the highest strikeout rates, 31.7%, in the majors. With all the strikeouts, he throws a lot of pitches. If a hitter puts the ball in play, the pitcher might throw one or two pitches. To record a strikeout, a pitcher must throw at least three pitches.

Snell frequently struggles with his walk rate. Since he is an outstanding hurler, he tries to make the perfect pitch. Chasing perfection runs up his pitch counts, leading to earlier exits than he would have preferred. For example, the Rays’ manager, Kevin Cash, pulled him in the sixth inning of Game 6 of the 2020 World Series. The Dodgers benefited from Cash’s decision even though it frustrated Snell.

Throughout his career, questions about Snell’s durability have arisen. In his 11-year career, he has made 222 starts and thrown 1158 innings. Many baseball pundits think Snell won’t get into the Baseball Hall of Fame because he doesn’t have the endurance needed.

In 2025, after signing a lucrative contract with the Dodgers, Snell developed left shoulder inflammation. After making two unimpressive starts, he went on the IL. He didn’t return to a major-league mound until August. He was spectacular until the 2025 World Series, when the balky shoulder began acting up again.

This offseason, Snell went through physical therapy to strengthen the troublesome shoulder. He began throwing in late January. He is throwing off flat ground at Camelback Ranch, but he hasn’t gotten off the mound yet. To Dave Roberts’ estimation, Snell doesn’t have enough time to build up the shoulder and endurance before Opening Day on March 26.

Could the Dodgers push Snell?

Of course, they could. Snell would probably be ready for the first weekend of the 2026 regular season, but he might need season-ending shoulder surgery. The Dodgers aren’t worried about the symbolic start of the season. Championships aren’t won on Opening Day.

Since Andrew Friedman understands pitchers get hurt frequently, he has stockpiled young pitchers in the Dodger minor league system. These pitchers appear to be ready to contribute on the major league level.

To begin the season, the Dodgers will have a six-man rotation. So far, Gavin Stone, returning from right shoulder reconstruction surgery in September 2024, has looked fantastic. Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski are ready to take the next step in their maturation as major league starters. River Ryan and Kyle Hurt are returning from Tommy John surgeries.

The Dodgers will be fine if Snell isn’t back until June.