Blake Snell Injury Update, Latest News on Dodgers Star's Status and Timeline to Return

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that it will be "hard" for starting pitcher Blake Snell to be ready for Opening Day.

Snell missed four months last season with left shoulder inflammation but was still able to make 11 regular season starts and six postseason appearances (five starts) en route to the Dodgers' World Series title.

Unfortunately, shoulder issues have creeped into the offseason, leading to a slower build-up period this year. Snell spoke about it at DodgerFest on January 31, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

"I've been playing catch, been throwing. It feels good," Snell said. "But I'm just going to take my time. Last year, I was rushing. I wanted to pitch so bad. But I'm going to take my time. The goal is to be ready Opening Day, but I'm going to take my time. I'll know more once I'm [at Spring Training], throwing bullpens, pitching in games."

Snell made two starts to begin the 2025 season but then missed four months before returning in early August. He came back strong in his return, striking out 68 batters in nine starts alongside a 2.41 ERA.

For the season, the two-time Cy Young award winner went 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA (1.26 WHIP) and 72 strikeouts in 61.1 innings. He then went 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA (1.00 WHIP) and 41 punchouts in 34 frames.

The 33-year-old Snell, who is entering his 11th MLB season, signed a five-year, $136.96 million contract with the Dodgers in Nov. 2024.

Snell is part of a loaded Dodger starting rotation that also includes World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani and 2024 All-Star Tyler Glasnow.

The hope is that Snell gets back healthy ASAP and stays in the rotation. Based on his DodgerFest comments, he's clearly worried about getting back too quickly and risking further time on the injured list.

If he has to sacrifice some starts in the early portion of the season, then that seems to be a fair price to pay as he looks to remain healthy later on and potentially through the playoffs as the Dodgers strive to become the first team to win three straight World Series since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees.