Dodgers' Blake Snell Listed As Major Disappointment

The Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching staff is riddled with injuries, and the club is patiently waiting for some of its top arms to return to health.

During the winter, the 2024 World Series champions made significant additions to their starting rotation, including Roki Saski and two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.

While Snell was one of the top arms available in free agency, the lefty has a vast injury history, including a left adductor strain that required multiple injured-list stints in 2021 with the San Diego Padres.

On Thursday, The Athletic's Jim Bowden assembled a list of Major League Baseball players and teams who have been underwhelming to begin the 2025 season, and he listed Snell as one of those players.

"The Dodgers committed $182 million over five years to get Blake Snell, who went on the injured list with shoulder inflammation after two starts," Bowden wrote. 

While what Bowden wrote about Snell is factually accurate, there's reason to believe the 32-year-old can still have a strong first season with the Dodgers.

Snell landed on the injured list twice last season with the San Francisco Giants, but performed as one of the best pitchers in baseball after the All-Star break.

After posting a poor 6.31 ERA during the first half of the 2024 season (35.2 innings), Snell went on an excellent stretch in the second half, finishing with a 1.45 ERA in 68.1 innings and an opponent slugging percentage of just .189.

He's also been one of the best strikeout pitchers in MLB, holding the record for strikeouts per innings pitched with a career mark of 11.2. Players eligible for the record must have thrown 1,000 or more innings.

Snell has been out for over a month with his injury, but when he returns, he should be a major contributor to the Dodgers' chase for back-to-back championships.

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