The Dodgers placed Blake Snell on the 15-day injured list on April 3 due to left shoulder discomfort, and the information that has followed has not been encouraging. Snell stated that he has been in pain there for the past three weeks but has pitched through it. An MRI revealed no structural damage, but Snell also met with Dr. Neil ElAttrache on Monday, and Dave Roberts suggested that Snell undergo an injection to address the issue.
In the meantime, the Dodgers will have to rely on their highly touted pitching depth. Although they have plenty of possibilities to replace Snell on the mound, filling the shoes of a two-time Cy Young champion is no easy task. These three are the most likely.
Players will appear for the Dodgers as long as Snell is out. Three Dodgers pitchers must step up following Blake Snell’s concerning injury.
Justin Wrobleski
On Monday, Dave Roberts confirmed that Wrobleski would start the Dodgers’ second game against the Nationals the next night, and they made the move official by optioning Matt Sauer (who had been called up to take Snell’s spot on the active roster) back to Triple-A in exchange for Wrobleski, who made six starts and appeared in long relief twice last season. Wrobleski had a fantastic spring training (9 1/3 innings, 1.93 ERA), but was squeezed off the roster when the Dodgers instead chose to bring Luis García, Ben Casparius, and Jack Dreyer up to complete the bullpen and cover for injuries to Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, and others. While Wrobleski is unlikely to stay with the squad for long, he will need to show that he can make it in the majors following a rough start last season.
Landon Knack
Knack flew with the team to Washington DC and was present for their visit to the White House, which provided cause to expect that fans would also be seeing him during LA’s series against the Nationals. The Dodgers have yet to pick a starter for Wednesday, but it wouldn’t be remarkable if they go with Knack and send Wrobleski down.
Knack, like Wrobleski, did not make the roster when the Dodgers returned to the United States, but he did make his season debut in Tokyo against the Cubs, pitching two scoreless innings out of the bullpen after Roki Sasaki’s short start. Last year, Knack spent more time in the majors than Wrobleski.
He finished with a respectable 3.65 ERA in 12 starts and three relief outings. He’s also competing for a longer-term spot on the major league roster, and we should expect to see him cycle out alongside Wrobleski. Tony Gonsolin’s current rehab assignment in the minors may limit Wrobleski and Knack’s chances of making further major league starts. He made his first Triple-A start on Thursday, but the Dodgers shouldn’t push someone who hasn’t pitched in the majors since August 2023 and is coming off Tommy John surgery.
If Snell’s injury is serious, Gonsolin can easily slip into the rotation until Shohei. Ohtani and/or Clayton Kershaw return, but a lot depends on his return to the mound after such a long absence, and he’ll be aiming for a season as productive as Dustin May’s.
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