After one of the most sizzling starts in recent team history, the Los Angeles Dodgers dropped two games to the Philadelphia Philles in a three-game weekend set, falling to 9-2 on the year amid an East Coast road trip.
Sunday’s finale was a back-and-forth battle that saw the Dodgers jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first frame after Teoscar Hernandez hit his first long ball of the afternoon. In the bottom of the third, Los Angeles starter Tyler Glasnow lost his command, walking the bases loaded before first baseman Bryce Harper singled to put the Phillies on the board. The biggest blow came after Glasnow was replaced by lefty Alex Vesia, who promptly surrendered a grand slam to outfielder Nick Castellanos, capping off a six-run frame for Philadelphia.
Nevertheless, the Dodgers clawed their way back, primarily by riding the shoulders of Teoscar, who finished the game going 3-for-3 with two long balls, a double, a sacrifice fly and five RBI. Los Angeles was up 7-6 heading into the seventh inning until veteran reliever Blake Treinen had a few control issues of his own, surrendering two earned runs on two hits and a walk that put the Phillies ahead to stay.
Snell Headed to Injured List
In other news, the Dodgers have placed left-hander Blake Snell on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder, with the placement being retroactive to April 3. Despite allowing eight walks in nine innings this season, Snell had posted a 2.00 ERA over his first two starts. The shoulder issue appears to have developed between Snell’s last outing on April 2 and a recent bullpen session.
This marks Snell’s tenth trip to the injured list over his 10-year MLB career, continuing his pattern of health concerns and early-season struggles. Snell has historically been a slow starter, with a 3.95 ERA before the All-Star break compared to a much stronger 2.32 ERA in the second half. When at his best, Snell is among baseball’s elite pitchers, as evidenced by his two Cy Young Awards and his spectacular late-season performance in 2024 with the Giants when he posted a 1.23 ERA over his final 80⅓ innings.
Snell’s strong finish last year led him to opt out of his San Francisco contract, resulting in a five-year, $182 million deal with the Dodgers. While there’s no indication right now that the shoulder inflammation is overly serious, it raises questions about the signing and creates rotation challenges, especially with Japanese pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki both only pitching once per week. Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski and Bobby Miller are the most likely candidates to receive a call-up from Triple-A to cover Snell’s spot in the rotation.
Righty Tony Gonsolin could be an option at some point very soon. The 30-year-old has made one rehab appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City after injuring himself lifting weights, allowing no runs with one hit and two walks over 1-2/3 innings.
Next up for the Dodgers is a three-game set against the Nationals in Washington on Monday. Right-hander Dustin May is scheduled to start the opener. Snell’s normal spot in the rotation comes up in the middle game on Tuesday.