Blake Snell Injury Throws Dodgers’ October Rotation Into Doubt

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers lost 6-2 to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday night, delaying a potential National League West division-clinching celebration. The San Diego Padres defeated the Colorado Rockies, keeping the division race mathematically alive with 10 games left in the regular season.

Los Angeles used six relievers after left-hander Blake Snell exited his start following one inning because of left groin tightness. The injury occurred before first pitch during Snell’s pregame bullpen session, when he felt a sharp pulling sensation in his left groin while throwing his second-to-last warm-up pitch, a slider.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner tried to pitch through the discomfort without fully driving off his back leg. His velocity was noticeably reduced during a 19-pitch first inning in which he allowed an opening-inning single to Sal Stewart before picking Stewart off first base and starting an inning-ending rundown.

Afterward, Snell met in the dugout with manager Dave Roberts, pitching coach Mark Prior, and head athletic trainer Thomas Albert. The Dodgers decided to remove him to avoid further damage, and right-handed reliever Blake Treinen entered in the second inning.

The setback adds to a frustrating 2026 campaign for Snell. His Dodgers debut was initially delayed by shoulder fatigue, and an elbow issue later required arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies, sidelining him again after only one start. Since returning to the mound, Snell has recorded a 1.86 ERA in eight starts and has allowed no more than one run in any outing.

Snell has previously spent time on the injured list because of left groin and adductor strains during the 2021, 2022, and 2024 seasons. He has incorporated Copenhagen planks, an isometric exercise targeting the adductor muscles, into his daily training regimen in recent years to prevent inner-thigh injuries. Snell said that, unlike previous instances when he pitched through discomfort and suffered Grade 1 and Grade 2 strains, leaving early prevented a severe injury.

The Dodgers will evaluate Snell’s groin over the coming days after returning to Los Angeles and then determine whether diagnostic imaging is necessary. Snell said he hopes to make one final regular-season start before the playoffs begin.

Cincinnati scored six runs on 12 hits, including two home runs, over seven innings against the Dodgers’ bullpen. Los Angeles did get a scoreless eighth inning from left-hander Kris Bubic, who made his major league debut after being acquired at the trade deadline while recovering from a flexor strain and shoulder impingement. Bubic had not appeared in the majors since mid-May; he allowed one infield single and struck out two.

The Dodgers will reshuffle their pitching staff before Thursday’s series finale. Right-hander Bobby Miller, who threw 2 1/3 innings in relief Wednesday, was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, and Los Angeles plans to recall right-hander Landon Knack. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski is scheduled to start Thursday.

Roki Sasaki also made progress Wednesday after missing nearly three weeks with a right middle finger blister. The Japanese right-hander threw a 48-pitch, four-inning live batting practice session while using Dermabond, a topical skin adhesive, to protect the area. Sasaki is scheduled to return directly to the starting rotation rather than work out of the bullpen, aligning him to start against San Diego next week.

Tyler Glasnow, who missed three and a half months this season because of a back injury, returned early to Los Angeles following the team’s series in Miami. He did so to avoid additional air travel and acclimate to Pacific Standard Time before his scheduled Friday start. Glasnow reported feeling healthy after a Wednesday bullpen session despite recent struggles on the mound.

Emmet Sheehan remains a rotation option after being optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday to make room for an extra reliever. In his previous two big-league starts, Sheehan allowed one run and five hits across 11 1/3 innings.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal continue to anchor the top of the rotation, and team officials have expressed confidence in their form heading into October.