The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped their Wednesday matchup against the Cincinnati Reds and lose Blake Snell in the process.
This late in the season and still vying for the No. 2 seed in the postseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers could not afford to lose any more arms. With the early loss of starter Blake Snell after just one inning and 19 pitches in Wednesday's 6-2 loss against the Cincinnati Reds, red flags were waving once more.
Snell's velocity in that first inning indicated that something was amiss, averaging just 94 mph on the heater. Following the final out, Snell rushed down to the clubhouse steps with head athletic trainer Thomas Albert, prompting Blake Treinen to start his prep in the bullpen early.
The Dodgers later announced that the veteran southpaw left the game with left groin tightness.
Since returning from the Injured List after having loose bodies removed from his throwing elbow, Snell has not missed a step, allowing just four earned runs over 35.2 innings (1.01 ERA) and recording 47 punchouts.
Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) in the dugout during the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium. -- IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectSnell is no stranger to groin injuries throughout his career. Alongside previous shoulder flare-ups, he was sidelined with groin strains for a month back in 2024 during his time with the San Francisco Giants and missed the remaining three weeks of the 2021 season for the San Diego Padres with an adductor groin strain.
When speaking to the media, Snell told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic that he felt "something" in his groin area when he threw the second-to-last pitch of his warm-up in the bullpen.
Snell added that he didn't want to push it, and it doesn't feel as bad as in years past. Still, he and the Dodgers will monitor the situation in the coming days.
The removal of Snell also came at an inconvenient time for the Dodgers, with a scheduled bullpen game slated for Thursday's series finale. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted that Justin Wrobleski will start in the finale and that Landon Knack will take the bulk of the innings, according to Ardaya.
Depending on the severity of Snell's injury, Los Angeles will look to all corners to ensure that he receives as much rest before the official push of October baseball kicks into full gear.
This promptly places the responsibility on Roki Sasaki, who completed a live four-inning simulation ahead of Wednesday's game, to take hold of Snell's spot in the starting rotation once he comes off the IL.
Cincinnati took advantage of the unscheduled bullpen game, tacking on six runs against six Dodgers arms. Los Angeles drove in two runs on seven hits, brought to you by an RBI double from Will Smith and a Tommy Edman grounder, and were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
With the loss, the Dodgers drop to 92-60 and hold off on the celebrations of clinching the National League West. They still have one more game to play on Thursday before making the trip back him on Friday as they welcome the Giants for a three-game weekend series at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium.
