Blake Snell DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder) will start playing catch on Friday. Snell is on the team's current road trip in Miami and will also be in Arizona when they face the division-rival Diamondbacks this weekend. The 32-year-old southpaw made it only two starts in his Dodgers tenure before dealing with left-shoulder issues and being placed on the 15-day injured list. He had a setback with his balky shoulder in late April and had his throwing program shut down, but Snell is going to resume throwing this weekend after recently receiving a cortisone injection in his arm. In a best-case scenario, Snell might be able to return to L.A.'s starting rotation in late May after going on a minor-league rehab assignment. He allowed two unearned runs in his first two starts, but he walked nine and struck out four in nine innings. Snell needs to remain stashed in all fantasy leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder) is expected to resume playing catch next week in Miami on the team's road trip. Snell landed on the 15-day injured list way back on April 6 and is still working his way back from a left-shoulder injury after encountering a setback recently. Tests haven't revealed any structural damage in his arm, thankfully, and the 32-year-old veteran southpaw will now resume throwing next week after having a cortisone injection on Monday. If things go well next week, Snell could be cleared to throw off a mound soon after. But given the long layoff, he should be expected to need a minor-league rehab assignment eventually, which could push his return into June. Snell allowed two unearned runs while walking eight and striking out four in his first two starts with L.A. before the injury. Keep him stashed in all fantasy leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell (shoulder) recently was shut down from throwing after experiencing discomfort in his shoulder. The southpaw underwent an MRI, but it didn't reveal anything new. That being said, the Dodgers plan to give Snell an injection to hopefully calm down the inflammation in his shoulder. After that, Snell will begin a throwing program before possibly doing a few rehab starts. It sounds like Snell has avoided any major injuries. His timetable to return is unclear, but the hope is that he'll return at some point in May.