Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell left a game early in Cincinnati due to a tight left groin, raising concerns about the team's already strained rotation. This comes after Shohei Ohtani's injury and Tyler Glasnow traveling directly home instead of joining the team, suggesting potential issues with multiple key players. The article emphasizes the significance of this development given the Dodgers' reliance on their starting pitching in the upcoming playoffs, especially since Snell had been performing exceptionally well recently with a 1.04 ERA post-injury return.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Whatever problems surfaced in recent weeks, the Dodgers were able to convince themselves they could overcome them.
The reason: Even with Ohtani unable to pitch, they had the most talented starting rotation of this era.
uncertain
they → surface → era
Blake Snell departed his start in Cincinnati on Wednesday after just one inning with what was described as a tight left groin.
asserted
what → depart → groin
Consider that Tyler Glasnow traveled directly home from Miami rather than to follow the Dodgers to Great American Ball Park for their four-game series against the Reds, and there are reasons to be worried.
asserted
Glasnow → consider → Reds
With an inconsistent offense and combustible bullpen, the Dodgers were going to be heavily dependent on their starting pitching in the playoffs.
asserted
Dodgers → go → playoffs
That rotation could now be unraveling.
uncertain
rotation → unravel → ?
The last time Snell strained his left groin was when he was pitching for the San Francisco Giants in 2024.
asserted
he → strain → 2024
He was sidelined for a month.
asserted
He → sideline → month
For what it’s worth, Snell is convinced this particular injury isn’t severe and plans to make his next start, according to people familiar with this situation.
uncertain
injury → ’ → situation
“Stopped before it got too bad,” one of the people said.
asserted
one → stop → people
Then again, weren’t similar claims once made about Ohtani?
uncertain
claims → make → Ohtani
As for Glasnow, he remains on track to pitch on Friday.
asserted
he → remain → Friday
Manager Dave Roberts said Glasnow skipped the Cincinnati leg of the trip to better prepare for his starting assignment at Dodger Stadium against the San Francisco Giants.
asserted
Glasnow → say → Giants
“Get him acclimated to Pacific Standard Time,” Roberts said.
asserted
Roberts → get → Time
By sending Glasnow back to Los Angeles, the Dodgers spared him a three-hour flight from Miami to Cincinnati.
asserted
Dodgers → send → Cincinnati
Glasnow was sidelined for 3 ½ months because of back problems, and Roberts intimated something could be wrong with him after his most recent start.
uncertain
something → sideline → start
In his last two appearances, the 6-foot-8 right-hander gave up a combined eight runs, 11 hits and seven walks in 10 innings.
asserted
hander → give → innings
The questions about Snell’s and Glasnow’s health came at a time when the rotation was coming together before the postseason.
Snell in particular was sharp after returning from an elbow cleanup that cost him three months.
asserted
that → come → months
Before his early departure on Wednesday, Snell was 4-0 with a 1.04 earned-run average since he was activated from the injured list on Aug. 11.
asserted
he → earn → Aug.
Snell wasn’t the only Cy Young Award-caliber pitcher rounding into shape.
asserted
Snell → round → shape
The day before Snell scaled the mound, it was Yamamoto’s turn to do so, and last year’s World Series Most Valuable Player pitched seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Reds.
The seven-inning start was the third in a row for Yamamoto, who improved his record to 14-8 and lowered his earned-run average to 2.51.
“I feel really good and I don’t have any physical problems,” Yamamoto told reporters in Japanese.
asserted
Yamamoto → scale → Japanese
“I want to treat practice each and every day with importance and go into October in the best condition.”
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I → want → condition
The opening game of the series was started by Tarik Skubal, the two-time Cy Young Award winner who was acquired from the Detroit Tigers before the trade deadline.
asserted
who → start → deadline
Skubal pitched seven scoreless innings of his own in a 4-1 victory over the Reds.
asserted
Skubal → pitch → Reds
In his previous start, which was also against the Reds but at Dodger Stadium, Skubal pitched 7 ⅓ innings.
asserted
Skubal → pitch → innings
“Just getting in a rhythm,” Skubal said.
asserted
Skubal → get → rhythm
Just last week, the Dodgers had a playoff rotation that would have looked to other teams like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
asserted
that → have → Apocalypse
Now, there’s a chance they could be forced to send Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan to the mound in playoff games.
uncertain
they → ’ → games
The Dodgers could conceivably win a championship with a rotation of Yamamoto, Skubal, Sasaki and Sheehan but that would require their offense to be productive.
uncertain
offense → win → Yamamoto
How much can the Dodgers count on that, considering the physical problems Ohtani and Freeman have encountered?
asserted
Ohtani → count → problems
And how would using Sasaki as a starter instead of a reliever affect their bullpen?
asserted
using → use → bullpen
Snell removed himself from his start on Wednesday so the Dodgers wouldn’t have to find out.
asserted
Dodgers → remove → Wednesday
The question is whether he did so in time.
asserted
he → do → time
Their season depends on it.
asserted
season → depend → it
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