The Dodgers are leaning hard into a left-handed plan for the NLDS, and Blake Snell is the latest piece to fall into place.
Los Angeles announced that Snell will start Game 2 against the Atlanta Braves, giving the club a lefty on the mound after Skubal in Game 1. The move also keeps Yoshinobu Yamamoto in reserve for Game 3 or, if the Dodgers want to stretch things out, possibly Game 4 as they try to manage his workload.
Manager Dave Roberts said the staff has been working through the matchup puzzle with pitching coach Mark Prior, especially with the Braves’ struggles against left-handed pitching in mind.
“I think it’s a good process, appreciating that the most important thing is this series right now. But if you have talented arms at your disposal, it’s prudent to map out potentially how they could line up. That’s just doing your due diligence,” Roberts said to the media, including Dodgers Nation.
“We are very fortunate because we have four guys essentially that you can really pick through to figure out the best way to deploy all four starters. That’s the exercise. But it starts with having four talented guys.”
Snell’s road to October was anything but smooth. The two-time Cy Young winner made just nine appearances this season, spending about the first month on the injured list with shoulder fatigue. He then landed back on the IL after one start, a rough outing in which he gave up four earned runs over three innings and dealt with loose bodies in his elbow.
After returning from surgery to remove those loose bodies, Snell looked far more like the pitcher the Dodgers expected. Over 39.2 innings, he struck out 50 batters.
If that version shows up in the postseason, he becomes a major factor in the Dodgers’ rotation.
In Other News...
Miguel Rojas Just Put The Dodgers In An Awkward Spot
Miguel Rojas has put himself and the Dodgers in a familiar late-season holding pattern, only this one comes with an offseason wrinkle. The veteran infielder entered the year thinking it could be his final one, but he has since started to rethink that timeline as he weighs whether he still has the skill and endurance to keep playing. For a Dodgers club that always has to balance present needs with future roster planning, even a quiet change of heart can matter.
Rojas has also made it clear he would prefer to stay in Los Angeles if he does decide to continue, which adds another layer to a decision the front office cannot fully control. As an unrestricted free agent, he will have to sort out whether retirement is still the right path, and his answer could shape how the Dodgers approach infield depth and other offseason priorities. It is the sort of personal crossroads that can linger well past the end of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Just Put Serious Pressure On Atlanta's Next Pitching Call
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Now Walt Weiss has already signaled that Chris Sale will not start Game 2, which keeps the spotlight squarely on Atlantas next move. For the Dodgers, it is the kind of October pressure point that matters, because every inning the Braves patch together only increases the chance Los Angeles can keep leaning on its lineup and turn the series into a test of depth rather than a duel at the top of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Roberts Sends Dodgers Fans A Clear Message On Tanner Scott
Tanner Scotts rough ninth inning in Game 1 of the National League Division Series could have invited a bigger reaction, but Dave Roberts moved quickly to keep the larger picture intact. The Dodgers manager pointed out that Scott was working in a non-save situation with a four-run lead, and said the decision to move on was tied more to the upcoming hitters than to the inning itself. For a bullpen built around matchups, that distinction matters, especially in October.
Roberts also had plenty of regular-season production to lean on with Scott, who posted a 2.69 ERA and 25 saves before landing on the Dodgers NLDS roster as one of three left-handed relievers. So while the home run will get attention, the teams view of Scott appears unchanged for now, with his role still carrying weight in a postseason bullpen where every lefty can become a key lever late in games. [Read more 🡒]