The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed Blake Snell on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation. Right-handed pitcher Matt Sauer was recalled as a result.
Read more: Dodgers Place Blake Snell on Injured List in Surprise Move
The Dodgers have never been strangers to pitching injuries, but for a two-time Cy Young award winner and $182 million offseason addition to land on the injured list at this point of the season is a major blow to the momentum created by the 9-1 defending champions.
Coming just days after the news of Freddie Freeman landing on the IL as well, more questions of the true depth of this L.A. roster are being asked.
As for Snell, the glaring question is who steps up in the rotation to take his place. Luckily for the Dodgers, there are a few more than capable options to hold down the mound, at least for Snell’s scheduled start on Tuesday.
The first option is bringing up another southpaw in Justin Wrobleski. He last pitched on April 1 in Triple-A Oklahoma City, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings and only allowing three hits in the start.
Last season among Double-A and Triple-A, the 24-year-old threw 95.2 innings with an ERA of 3.76 over his 20 appearances, 18 of which were starts. His 104 strikeouts to just 31 walks show that he has a lot of potential to fill the Snell-sized hole for the Dodgers.
Another option from Triple-A is fellow left-hander Landon Knack. The 27-year-old last pitched a little more recently on April 3, and threw 4.2 innings in relief. In those frames, he hurled five strikeouts, allowing two walks and two runs.
The Dodgers could also bring up right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller, however, he’s scheduled to pitch on Sunday, meaning he won’t be ready until next weekend. Miller had a trying 2024 season, but had a strong first start this season, pitching 4.2 shutout innings on March 30.
The Dodgers could also choose to utilize a bullpen game for what would be Snell’s first scheduled start on Tuesday. Then, it’s possible right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin is ready by next week to take Snell’s spot in the rotation.
A talent like Snell will hamper not just the pitching output, but a lot of excitement after such a hot start. The two young pitchers have been proving themselves in Triple-A for a moment like this and should have a chance to continue their productive pitching with the lights much brighter than before.
More news: Dodgers Pitcher Opens Up on Emotional Return to Mound After Near-Death Experience
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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