Dodgers’ Cy Young left-hander Snell’s season start uncertain; Wrobleski emerges as a dark horse in the starting rotation

Due to doubts about whether Cy Young left-hander Blake Snell will be ready for Opening Day, the Dodgers are considering candidates to fill the starting rotation vacancy, with left-hander Justin Wrobleski among the top contenders.

The Dodgers have not dismissed the possibility of Snell being ready for Opening Day, but the Cy Young lefty’s recovery has been quite gradual. After experiencing left shoulder discomfort early in the offseason, he has slowed his throwing routine and is currently limited to about 90 feet of catch. Meanwhile, the other five pitchers expected to start the season in the rotation have all completed at least one bullpen session facing hitters.

With limited time remaining, Snell still faces several hurdles, and the Dodgers are unwilling to rush his return just to have him pitch in April. The team aims to ensure he is fully prepared early on so that he can contribute effectively in the October postseason.

“Regarding Blake,” said manager Dave Roberts, “we’re just taking it day by day.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers boast strong depth in their starting pitching, and Wrobleski has risen near the top of the candidate list thanks to his impressive relief work last season.

The 25-year-old Wrobleski had a rough start last year, including a spot start in April against the Washington Nationals where he gave up eight runs over five innings. However, after moving between Triple-A and the majors multiple times, he remained in the big leagues from late July through the end of the season, primarily serving as a long reliever. In 24 appearances totaling 66.2 innings, he posted a 4.32 ERA and a 2.92 FIP.

During the World Series, Wrobleski became one of the few bullpen pitchers that Roberts trusted. He was included on the roster for every round of the series but only made his first appearance in Game 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Over that series, he pitched five scoreless innings, including key outings in Games 6 and 7.

“It felt great to have the team and coaches trust me to pitch in such critical moments. That definitely boosts your confidence moving forward,” Wrobleski said today. “Knowing you can handle the biggest moments changes your mindset going into the regular season. But at the end of the day, even in those games, you have to try to treat every appearance the same.”

This mindset roughly describes Wrobleski’s approach to his role for the 2026 season. Whether starting or relieving, his focus is on recording outs and controlling what he can. His time with the Dodgers late last season taught him what it takes to succeed in the majors, and no matter what role the team needs him to fill, he plans to apply those lessons.

This is also one aspect of his growth that the team has noticed from last year.

“I believe his growth, maturity, ability to use his arsenal, and compete in high-leverage moments will help him handle batting orders two or three times through,” said baseball operations president Andrew Friedman. “He’s definitely one of the candidates. Plus, his bullpen performance was excellent, so we have to weigh that as well.”

Besides Snell’s condition, another factor affecting the starting rotation setup is how ready Shohei Ohtani will be as a pitcher by Opening Day. Although the team does not plan to ease him in as they did last year, his innings early in the season will likely be limited.

This is where Wrobleski’s versatility becomes an advantage, potentially giving him a better chance to make the Opening Day roster than Gavin Stone and River Ryan. Since 2024, Stone and Ryan have not pitched in official games due to major surgeries, while Wrobleski has much more relief experience. If Ohtani can only pitch two or three innings early in the season, Wrobleski can cover innings behind him.

“If I’m ready for multiple innings, if I’m ready to start, I can handle any assignment at any time,” Wrobleski said. “I feel like I’m prepared for whatever comes my way.”