Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning during game one of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field on Oct. 13. Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Blake Snell Reveals Sudden Illness He Suffered in August That Had Him in ER

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Paternity leave is typically a joyous occasion for a baseball player. When Blake Snell rejoined the Dodgers following the birth of his second child in August, his return to action had all the ordinary hallmarks.

In truth, his time away from the team was anything but joyous.

Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reported that Snell was "extremely sick" by the time his wife Haeley was in labor with their second son.

The pitcher was taken to an emergency room and remained there overnight. According to Harris, Snell needed two IVs to combat an unspecified illness that was undoubtedly compounded by exhaustion.

“I couldn’t really stand,” Snell said. “I just felt awful.”

In a classic case of you-can-never-predict-baseball, Snell's first start upon returning to the team wasn't his best. He limited the Arizona Diamondbacks to three runs in 5.1 innings, throwing 56 of his 86 pitches for strikes.

The Dodgers were on the wrong end of a 3-0 shutout, but at least Snell was back — or so it seemed.

Days earlier, as he got up from a couch to go hold his newly born baby, Snell told Harris he passed out and fainted right there in the room. His second start upon his return proved to be his worst of the season.

On Sept. 4 in Pittsburgh, the Pirates torched Snell for nine hits and five runs in five innings. But he never missed a start despite the sudden, surprising physical setback he endured while away.

Dating to his Sept. 10 start against the Colorado Rockies, Snell has allowed three runs in 40 innings, a 0.68 ERA. In his only start in the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Snell allowed one hit and no runs in eight innings of the Dodgers' Game 1 victory.

The recent run of success made Snell the logical choice for manager Dave Roberts in Game 1 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Dodgers visit Rogers Centre for Games 1 and 2 of the World Series on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

For Snell, the start marks a golden opportunity to capture the World Series championship that has eluded him throughout his 10-year career in MLB.

It might be Snell's final appearance in a 2025 season that was largely lost to a shoulder injury. The fact that he didn't lose additional time to the mystery illness in August is, in hindsight, a minor miracle.