Dodgers’ Blake Snell hits IL with concerning shoulder injury

The Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a red-hot start to the 2025 season, but they’re already dealing with an injury to Blake Snell. The Dodgers star has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation, according to the team. The move is retroactive to April 3, and right-handed pitcher Matt Sauer has been recalled to take Snell’s roster spot.

Snell is off to a rocky start in his first season with the Dodgers after signing a five-year, $182 million contract in the offseason. The 32-year-old gave up just two runs over five innings in his Dodgers debut against the Detroit Tigers, but he walked four and only struck out two. Then against the Atlanta Braves, the lefty walked four more batters and gave up five runs over four innings, though none of the runs were earned.

Los Angeles is a league-best 9-1 to start the season, but injuries to key players have already started to pile up a bit. In addition to Blake Snell hitting the IL, Freddie Freeman recently went down after a freak injury in the shower. The Dodgers are also awaiting the return of a number of pitchers, including Tony Gonsolin, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips and Clayton Kershaw. Plus, Shohei Ohtani is starting to ramp up his return to the mound, throwing a bullpen session over the weekend.

The good news, of course, is Los Angeles can withstand all these injuries thanks to a loaded roster that features tons of star power and depth. Even with all these issues, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball and could get even stronger if all these players come back healthy.

As for Blake Snell, expectations are high for the veteran as he makes his way through the NL West. After five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, Snell pitched three seasons with the San Diego Padres and one with the San Francisco Giants before heading to Hollywood. Hopefully, this injury is nothing serious and he’ll be back soon.