Dodgers' Snell believes injury is not serious after first career early exit: "Maybe I've grown up."

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell 2-6 to the Cincinnati Reds on the road, missing a chance to secure the NL West crown early. Blake Snell, the Dodgers' starter, exited after only one inning because of groin tightness. He later stated that he believes it's nothing major.

Snell revealed that he felt discomfort on the final pitch of his pregame warmup, and initially hoped to push through five innings. However, after finishing the first inning, he felt that continuing would worsen the injury. After discussing with manager Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior, he decided to leave the game.

Snell also noted that he has suffered four groin strains in his career, which led him to recognize the issue early and exit before it worsened. He believes a few days of rest should be enough. He joked, "I know if I kept going, I would have pulled it. It's the first time I've called it myself—maybe I've grown up."

Roberts also said he was glad that Snell proactively informed the team about his condition, preventing further damage. "I don't think anyone here can say what will happen in the next week or ten days, so first we'll see how he feels tomorrow. But I'm glad it's not worse, and we caught it early," Roberts said.

After Snell left, six relievers combined for seven innings, recording only four strikeouts while allowing 12 hits and six runs. Roberts said the issue was failing to get ahead in counts, which made it easy for hitters to attack.

The Dodgers' lineup managed only seven hits. Mookie Betts had three hits and a walk, and Will Smith contributed two hits and a walk, but the rest of the team did little. Freddie Freeman, who had three hits yesterday, struck out three times today, and the Dodgers scored just two runs.

The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the division is 1, but they couldn't secure the title on their own today. After the San Diego Padres defeated the Colorado Rockies, the Dodgers will have to wait until tomorrow for another chance to claim the crown.

Snell had been in excellent form recently. His season debut was delayed due to left shoulder fatigue, and he later underwent surgery to remove a loose body and bone spurs from his left elbow, not returning to the majors until August 11. After recovery, he quickly regained his rhythm, going 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA in his first six starts, none of which saw him allow more than one run. This injury came not during a slump but just as he was re-establishing his dominance and becoming an ace again.

Notably, the team reported the injury as left groin tightness, not the previous elbow issues, so there is no evidence of a recurrence of the elbow problem. Snell has had similar left groin injuries before. In 2024 with the San Francisco Giants, he went on the injured list with a left adductor strain, and he has missed time earlier in his career for similar reasons.

Snell's health has been tested multiple times this season. While it's too early to judge the severity based on available information, any unexpected issue with a starter could affect postseason rotation plans, especially for a team preparing for October. Snell has been considered a key playoff weapon in recent years. The Dodgers relied on his experience and strikeout ability last season, and he was on track to become an important part of their postseason rotation. After this early exit, the next steps depend on test results and how Snell responds in the coming days. If it's just temporary tightness, rest and treatment might suffice; but if a longer recovery is needed, the Dodgers will have to rethink their playoff pitching plans.