Blake Snell Overcomes Shoulder Injury to Lead Dodgers in World Series

When Blake Snell, starting pitcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers walked onto the mound for Game 1 of the World Series on October 25, 2025, few could have guessed the roller‑coaster he’d survived just months earlier. The 32‑year‑old two‑time Cy Young Award winner had spent most of the 2025 campaign battling left‑shoulder inflammation, a bout of illness, and a night‑time collapse that landed him in an emergency room the same day his wife, Haeley, delivered their second child. Yet in the span of a few weeks he went from ‘the hardest year of my career’ to the Dodgers’ postseason ace.

Season‑long Struggles

Snell’s tumultuous season began on March 27, 2025, when he made his Dodgers debut against the San Diego Padres. He followed up with a second start on April 2 against the Atlanta Braves, already feeling a dull ache in his left shoulder. On April 6 the team placed him on the 15‑day injured list, retroactive to the previous Thursday, citing left‑shoulder inflammation.

“I think being sick set him back a couple days,” Dave Roberts, the 52‑year‑old manager, told Orange County Register reporter Bill Plunkett on May 10. “But it wasn’t a major setback.”

Despite a brief bullpen session a week later, the pain resurfaced, and the Dodgers shut down his rehab attempt. It wasn’t until the end of May that Snell could play catch without the sting, according to a July 10 MLB.com report.

Rehabilitation Roadblocks

May 12 saw a mini‑setback when Snell fell ill during a series against the Miami Marlins, forcing the team to postpone his scheduled throwing session. The Dodgers arranged a consultation with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache early the following week. ElAttrache’s assessment confirmed a lingering inflammation that required a cautious, gradual build‑up.

Snell finally logged his first rehab start on July 10 with Single‑A Rancho Cucamonga, delivering two scoreless innings, striking out four, and throwing 23 of 31 pitches for strikes. The performance signaled that the shoulder was finally responding.

Los Angeles Dodgers headquarters, located at 1000 Vin Scully Avenue, Los Angeles, California, monitored his progress closely. “Could we have brought him back earlier? Possibly,” Roberts admitted in an October 2025 Sports Illustrated interview. “But with the contract on the line and the postseason looming, we chose the safer route.”

Return to Form

Snell re‑joined the rotation in early August and quickly proved the wait was worth it. Over nine regular‑season starts he posted a 2.41 ERA, striking out 68 batters in 58.2 innings. His overall 2025 line read 2.35 ERA, 72 strikeouts in 61.1 innings across 11 appearances (including his two pre‑injury starts). Those numbers placed him among the top five pitchers in the National League by ERA at the time.

Late August brought the most harrowing episode of the season. On the same day Haeley gave birth at Cedars‑Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Snell suddenly felt dizzy, fainted, and was rushed to the emergency department. He spent the night receiving IV fluids, later recalling, “This is awful.” The Los Angeles Times reported his hospitalization on October 22.

Despite the scare, the Dodgers kept him on the active roster, trusting that his recovery timeline aligned with the postseason schedule.

Postseason Dominance

October 2025 turned Snell into a postseason savant. In his first three playoff outings he logged a microscopic 0.86 ERA, striking out 12 in 10.1 innings while allowing just one run. The performance earned him the start in Game 1 of the World Series, a full circle from the shoulder‑inflamed pitcher who barely made it out of spring training.

“It’s what you have to go through to win a World Series,” Snell said to reporters after the October 22 game‑one announcement. “You can find an excuse, or you can find a way to figure it out.” His words resonated with a fan base that had watched him weather a $182 million, five‑year contract signed in November 2024.

Baseball analysts drew parallels to other pitchers who returned from shoulder woes, such as Chris Sale’s 2022 comeback. However, Snell’s rapid post‑injury surge was deemed “exceptional” by former MLB physician Dr. Mark Caldwell, who told ESPN that “the combination of elite talent, disciplined rehab, and the Dodgers’ medical staff created a perfect storm for success.”

What Comes Next?

Looking ahead, Snell’s health will remain a focal point. The Dodgers have pledged to monitor his workload, planning to limit him to 150 innings in the 2026 season—a modest figure compared to his 180‑inning peak in 2021. If the shoulder holds, the 2025 World Series could be the first of potentially two championships for a team that has already captured three titles in the past decade.

For Snell, the narrative is already shifting from “hardest year” to “career‑defining comeback.” His story illustrates how a blend of medical expertise, managerial patience, and personal grit can turn a season of setbacks into a championship runway.

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