Blake Snell was limited in his first year with the Los Angeles Dodgers due to left shoulder inflammation, but he still managed to toss 95.1 innings between the regular season and playoffs.
Snell was a workhorse during the team’s postseason run as he logged 34 innings across six appearances (five starts). The two-time Cy Young Award winner was dominant at the start of October but began to wane in effectiveness as the Dodgers got deeper into the month.
That wasn’t a coincidence, as Snell recently admitted his arm felt exhausted at the end of the World Series. As a result, L.A. plans to exercise patience with the 33-year-old this spring.
“I feel good,” Snell said at DodgerFest over the weekend. “Yeah, I feel good. I’m just going to go slower.
“Last year, I had so much to prove and got way too excited. I was really pushing to get to spring, get through spring, and then this year I’m going to be a little slower just in how I ramp up. We’re a little smarter on that, but I feel good.”
Snell confirmed the discomfort he felt was in the same shoulder that gave him trouble earlier in the year.
“Yeah, just my shoulder,” Snell said. “I mean, the same thing. Just never felt great. Never felt I was the normal that I’ve felt my whole career.
“So I’ve been playing catch. I’ve been throwing. It feels good, but I’m just going to take my time. Last year, I was rushing; I wanted to pitch so bad. But I’m going to take my time.
“The goal is to be ready for Opening Day, but I’m going to take my time, and I’ll know more once I start, once I’m there throwing bullpens, pitching in games, and have an idea. But yeah, Opening Day is the goal.”
Snell confirmed that his shoulder feels normal again and reiterated his top priority is being ready for Opening Day.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s stronger,” Snell said. “I know the day I went into PT to the day I left, it’s night and day in strength and how it feels. Throwing it feels good. I’m just going to ramp up slower, that’s all I’m doing.”
Blake Snell treated shoulder with rest and rehab
Snell was able to avoid surgery and said his only course of treatment for his shoulder this offseason was rest and therapy.
“It was rest, but a lot of physical therapy,” Snell noted. “I did a lot of different things just to make sure I’m where I want to be come Opening Day.”
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