Dodgers Insider Doesn't Expect Any Injured Starting Pitcher to Return Before All-Star Break

MLB.com's Los Angeles Dodgers beat writer Sonja Chen doesn't think any of the injured L.A. starters will make their return before the All-Star Break.

"Broadly speaking, I wouldn't expect to see any of them start a game for the Dodgers until around the All-Star break, and probably not until after," said Chen.

Starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both sit on the 60-day injured list, while Roki Sasaki is on the 15-day IL. Shohei Ohtani has been progressing well in his Tommy John surgery recovery, but will also likely not return before the All-Star break, per Bob Nightengale.

Snell has been out of the rotation with left shoulder inflammation since April 6 when the Dodgers placed him on 15-day injured list. They moved him to the 60-day injured list May 17, and are yet to announce a timeline for the two-time Cy Young winner's return. Snell signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers over the offseason, but has only made two starts since arriving in Los Angeles.

Shoulder inflammation also ails Glasnow, who has been on the injured list since April 28. The Dodgers also placed him on the 60-day injured list during May, and haven't officially announced when he'd return. He threw a bullpen session May 23, but saw his rehab progression slow after his body didn't respond well.

Sasaki has made the most appearances of the three this season, stepping onto the mound eight times. He landed on the injured list April 16 with right shoulder impingement, an issue which also plagued him in Japan. Just like Snell and Glasnow, he does not have a set return date.

"It has been slow going for Snell, Sasaki and Glasnow, who's in somewhat of a holding pattern," said Chen. "As general manager Brandon Gomes recently said, the Dodgers are taking their time with their injured pitchers now in the hope that the team can have them at their best in the postseason."

The Dodgers currently have five healthy starters on their roster, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Landon Knack and Clayton Kershaw. Despite how depleted their lineup is, they still lead the National League West by two games, leading the San Diego Padres. If they continue to set the pace in their division as they plan to, the return of their starters will only make the team more of a threat heading into the postseason.