Blake Snell Injury Update: When Will Dodgers SP Be Back?

The Dodgers landed one of the biggest MLB free-agent prizes last fall as they signed pitcher Blake Snell to a massive five-year deal. Snell has only been able to pitch for the Dodgers in two regular season games thus far, however, as he is dealing with left shoulder inflammation.

Dodgers fans and fantasy baseball owners are now wondering exactly when Snell will be back on the mound. Below, we will dish out an injury update on Snell and deliver an expected return date.

🚑 When will Blake Snell return and be back with Dodgers?

Snell is slowly recovering from left shoulder inflammation. The veteran lefty has been playing catch from flat ground and a bullpen session looks to be on the horizon. Snell told AM 570 LA Sports that he will likely throw off a mound in San Diego early next week.

“I’m throwing 120 feet now,” Snell said. “I’m coming out with no pain. I feel good. I’m excited. I threw a couple of changeups … pretty excited. I can’t wait [to be back]."

Snell is eligible to return from the injured list as soon as today, but it is probable that the Dodgers will wait several more weeks to have Snell ramp up toward a return. Given that the Dodgers currently have the best record in the NL West and are pretty much on cruise control until the playoffs, they will be making sure that Snell is 110% before putting him back on an MLB mound.

A recent MLB injury comp for Snell’s shoulder inflammation is Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby. Kirby was originally shut down on March 7 with shoulder inflammation and did not make his return to the Mariners’ rotation until May 22. In essence, Kirby was out 76 days due to the injury.

Snell has already been out 57 days from the time he was initially placed on the IL due to the injury. It is almost certain that the Dodgers will take a more conservative timeline than the Mariners did with Kirby. Snell still has to throw live BP and he will likely make multiple rehab starts before returning to the Dodgers’ rotation. 

A return in early July looks to be a fair projection for Snell.

Here is the Dodgers’ schedule at that time.

• Monday, July 2: New York Mets at LA Dodgers
• Tuesday, July 3: New York Mets at LA Dodgers
• Wednesday, July 4: New York Mets at LA Dodgers
• Thursday, July 5: New York Mets at LA Dodgers
• Friday, July 6: LA Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals
• Saturday, July 7: LA Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals

⏳ How long will Blake Snell be out?

The length of time an MLB pitcher is out with shoulder inflammation varies. Mild cases have a healing time of 2-4 weeks. Given the importance of the throwing shoulder when it comes to pitchers, however, MLB teams treat inflammation with an abundance of caution.

Snell will likely be out of action for three full months, which is on the longer side for this type of injury. The 32-year-old veteran had been slated to start his throwing program in early May but that wound up being delayed due to an illness.

💰 Dodgers betting odds

Betting on baseball has never been easier and our best MLB betting sites have so many options for new and experienced baseball bettors. You can bet on the next Dodgers game, and also find dozens of player props.

You can bet on live markets like “outcome of next at-bat” and even “will the next pitch be a strike?” There are also futures markets available, like World Series odds and MLB win totals. The Dodgers are still at the top of World Series oddsboards, owning around a +280 price at most sportsbooks.