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Dodgers Announce Injury Blow Immediately After Blake Snell News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Josh Valdez | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 10:13 PM ET

The defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers are once again one of the best teams in baseball, but their archnemesis is right on their tail. The San Diego Padres, who almost eliminated them in the NLDS last year, are just one game behind them atop the NL West entering Tuesday night.

The Dodgers and Padres' rivalry is multi-layered, and starting pitcher Blake Snell is a part of what intertwines the two clubs. The southpaw was on the 2022 San Diego team that eliminated Los Angeles in the NLDS, but is now in his first season with the latter club. He allowed one run over 5.1 innings in Game 3 of the series, helping the Padres win 2-1 and take a 2-1 series lead.

However, Snell has missed most of 2025 with left shoulder inflammation. The 32-year-old returned on August 2 and is 3-2 with a 1.97 ERA over six starts. He then went on paternity leave after allowing just two runs across seven innings in San Diego on Friday.

The Dodgers announced an update about Snell on Tuesday via their social media.

"The Dodgers have reinstated LHP Blake Snell from the paternity list and placed LHP Alex Vesia on the injured list with a right oblique strain, retroactive to 8/23," they announced.

Vesia is one of Los Angeles' most reliable relievers, as he has a 2.75 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 59 outings this year. The southpaw has a track record of excellence for the team, as he has a 1.23 ERA over 19 career playoff games and has had a sub-3.00 ERA in three of his previous four regular seasons.

The Dodgers have reinstated LHP Blake Snell from the paternity list and placed LHP Alex Vesia on the injured list with a right oblique strain, retroactive to 8/23.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 27, 2025

The Dodgers are 6-4 in their last 10 games and are coming off a 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. However, they lost two out of three contests to the Padres in their previous series, which helped the latter team gain ground in the division.

Los Angeles will finish its series with Cincinnati on Wednesday before hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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