
Blake Snell has fallen behind schedule compared to other starting pitchers and is in danger of not being part of the Los Angeles Dodgers' Opening Day rotation, but he remains in good spirits.
Snell was part of a light-hearted exchange with Miguel Rojas after the Dodgers' social media team asked which player could do the most pushups and who was the weakest in camp, and the left-hander posted on his Instagram account Tuesday night of spending time with Emmet Sheehan.
In Snell's video, he's overheard telling Sheehan to pose for a picture that can be saved as a contact photo.
"I want to take a photo for when you call me," Snell tells an unsuspecting Sheehan. The veteran lefty then begins to complain about the lighting in the parking lot, which point Sheehan begins to question the entire setup.
Snell continues to give Sheehan instruction, including asking him to smile and "put your hands out like you're doing something." It is at that point Sheehan realizes he's being recorded and takes a playful swipe at Snell's phone.
"Cmon bro ," Sheehan commented on Snell's Instagram post.
Sheehan went into Spring Training as the favorite to be the sixth starter in the Dodgers' rotation. That still may be a likely outcome once Opening Day arrives in late March, but he has some ground to make up.
Sheehan recently was under the weather and it interrupted his progression. However, the right-hander started to get back on track and threw his first live batting practice of the year on Monday.
Sheehan's availability is all the more important if the Dodgers do begin the season without Snell in the rotation. It makes Sheehan more of a necessity than luxury, as the team will have to further tap into their depth, such as Gavin Stone or River Ryan, to fill out a six-man rotation.
Just like Stone and Ryan, Sheehan also is entering his first full season since having surgery. His was a Tommy John surgery in May 2024 that caused him to miss all of that year. Sheehan went 6-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 15 games (12 starts) last season.
Meanwhile with Snell, the Dodgers continue to emphasize patience. He missed four months last year because of left shoulder inflammation, which then returned during the World Series. Snell spent a majority of the offseason focused on rest and physical therapy.
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