Blake Snell had everyone holding their breath Wednesday when he felt something “grab” in his groin during his bullpen warm-up session before taking the mound against the Cincinnati Reds. That’s a gut punch no one wants to see, especially not this late in the regular season. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting pitcher managed just one inning on the bump before he had to exit the game, with the team officially calling it “groin tightness.” Talk about a scare!
Not the First Rodeo for Snell
Snell, speaking after the game, put it plainly: he’s taking things day to day and isn’t committing to a final regular season start just yet. He did mention he thinks he’ll be good to go for the season’s final stretch, which is at least a sliver of good news. But here’s the kicker, and it tells you everything about why he pulled himself: “I strained it 4 different times… for me to stop, that’s a first. That was definitely the right move,” Snell said. He’s got a track record with these groin issues, so his immediate reaction to stop was based on hard-earned, painful experience. He knows when he’s pushed through it in the past, things only got worse, so pulling out early this time was a smart call, potentially avoiding a much more serious injury.
A Troubling Track Record
You can’t blame anyone for being cautious here. Snell’s groin injuries are not a new thing. We’re talking about a serious history. Back in September 2021, he had a left adductor strain that actually cut his season short. Then came April 2022 and April 2024, both leading to an absence of three weeks to a month. And just this past June 2024, an aggravation sent him to the 15-day IL. That’s a lot of time lost to the same nagging issue. Given his injury history and the Dodgers’ own string of setbacks this season, you’ve got to wonder if the organization will be hesitant to let him pitch again in the regular season. Unless they are absolutely confident it will only help him get ready for the postseason, holding him out might be the play.
What’s next for Snell? It’s all about that day-to-day recovery. Everyone’s just waiting to see if he can shake off this latest scare and make it back to the mound to help his team push forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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