Dodgers' Dave Roberts Admits Blake Snell Probably Could Have Returned Sooner This Year

Sep 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) walks off the mound during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed the Dodgers took extra care during starting pitcher Blake Snell's recovery from a left shoulder injury he suffered early in the season.

Snell landed on the injured list after just two starts, and didn't return to the Dodgers' rotation until the beginning of August. The Dodgers were extremely short on pitchers when Snell first went down, but by the time he was ready to come back they had a full rotation and were able to take their time in bringing him back.

"I think that's fair," Roberts said when asked if the Dodgers were cautious about using Snell in the regular season. "Could he have probably pitched earlier? Possibly. But when you're talking about kind of the arm, the term of the contract, the shorter term, the season, making sure that he is raring to go for the postseason, through the postseason. So that was certainly part of the math.

"That's why guys like what Clayton did and Emmet Sheehan and other guys did throughout the season to kind of get us to this point, to now be able to turn guys like Tyler loose and Blake Snell loose as well, yeah."

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Snell made nine starts after his return from injury, and was one of the Dodgers' best pitchers during the second half. He had a 2.41 ERA during his final nine starts of the season, ending the 2025 regular season with a 2,35 mark. He struck out 72 batters in 61.1 innings in 2025.

He has carried his solid performances from the regular season into the postseason, having dominated during his two starts in the playoffs. He started the first game of the Dodgers' postseason against the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 30, pitching seven innings and allowing two runs.

Snell also made a start against the Philadelphia Phillies on Oct. 6, pitching six scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. He recorded nine strikeouts in each of those two games.

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The left-hander made his third start of the postseason against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in the Dodgers' opening game of the NLDS. Snell didn't face the Brewers this season, but put on an absolute show Monday night.

Snell set the tempo for LA, tossing eight shutout innings with 10 strikeouts. The Dodgers earned a, 2-1, victory over the Brewers to kick off the best-of-seven Championship Series.

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