Los Angeles Dodgers starter Blake Snell will pitch against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday after tweaking his groin last week.
Snell felt some tightness in his groin ahead of his last start against the Cincinnati Reds, but tried pitching through it. He only lasted one inning in the outing, pulling himself out of the game after the first inning to make way for Blake Treinen.
The injury raised some concerns about Snell’s postseason availability, as he struggled with similar injuries in 2021, 2022 and 2024, but his return bodes well for his involvement in the Dodgers’ postseason.
How Has Snell Performed This Season?
Snell only has eight appearances with the Dodgers under his belt so far this season, pitching 38.2 innings while striking out 52 batters while posting a 1.86 ERA.
He didn’t make an appearance until May after spending the first month or so of the season on the injured list with fatigue in his shoulder, but immediately went back on the injured list after allowing five runs in three innings with loose bodies in his elbow.
The left-hander came back into the rotation in August, and immediately looked his best upon his return. He allowed just three earned runs and struck out 31 batters through his four starts after coming off of the injured list, spanning 23 innings pitched.
In September, Snell has thrown 12.2 innings while allowing just one earned run and striking out 16 batters.
What Role Will Snell Have in October?
Snell, without a doubt, will have a spot as a starter in the Dodgers’ rotation come the postseason, likely joined by Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal.
Despite his limited game time this year, Snell has proven himself as a key pitcher for the Dodgers, and also performed well during last year’s postseason. He had a 3.18 ERA through 34 innings pitched last October, and played a key role in the Dodgers’ World Series run.
He’ll look to do the same this year, as he aims to put together a healthy start in his final appearance of the regular season on Saturday. Before then, though, the Dodgers have a three-game series against the San Diego Padres as they try to secure their spot as the second seed in the NL. The first game of that series comes Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. PT.
