The Los Angeles Dodgers are back-to-back World Series champions with a roster that will position them to compete for a historic three-peat in 2026. However, the club could be short-handed come Opening Day with All-Star starting pitcher Blake SNell in jeopardy of missing time.
According to Jack Harris of the California Post, the Dodgers are slow-playing Snell’s return to the mound this spring. He felt “exhausted” after the World Series run, with the club willing to bring him along slowly.
“You want to ramp up, but I gotta take my time and get healthy…That’s what I’m learning talking with (the team). Don’t rush. Be patient. Make sure you’re 100%. And that’s what’s awesome about the organization. They really are focused on your health and well-being.”
Blake Snell on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ slow-building approach to his return
As Harris notes, Los Angeles has a history of taking a cautious approach with its pitchers. Long-term health is made the priority, even if it means limiting the workloads of starting pitchers during critical stretches of the regular season.
Arm soreness has also been an issue for Snell in the past. Los Angeles placed him on the injured list in April 2025 with shoulder inflammation. The All-Star pitcher and two-time Cy Young Award winner did not return to the Dodgers rotation until August.
As of now, Snell still thinks he will be ready for Opening Day. It is worth noting, however, that he has not reached 105 innings pitched in a regular season since 2023 and has eclipsed 130 innings just once since 2019.
Los Angeles will also need to be cautious with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He pitched 173.2 innings throughout the regular season and 38.1 innings in the postseason. Because he is also pitching for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, the Dodgers ace will be going through full-intensity outings earlier than normal.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, they do have pitching depth. Even if Snell opened the season on the injured list, the team could deploy a rotation of Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki. They also boast one of the deepest bullpens in baseball, which could lighten the workload for the rotation.
