On April 3, the Dodgers sent Blake Snell to the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation, and all of the information that has followed since hasn’t looked promising. Snell said he’s been dealing with pain there for the last three weeks, but has pitched through it. An MRI showed no structural damage, but Snell also met with Dr. Neil ElAttrache on Monday, and Dave Roberts left open the possibility that Snell receives an injection to treat the issue.

In the meantime, the Dodgers will have to call on their much-hyped pitching depth. Although they have plenty of options to put on the mound in Snell’s stead, filling the shoes of a two-time Cy Young winner is a tall order. These are the three most likely players to appear for the Dodgers as long as Snell’s out.

3 Dodgers pitchers who must step up after Blake Snell’s worrisome injury

Justin Wrobleski

On Monday, Dave Roberts confirmed that Wrobleski would get the start for the Dodgers’ second game against the Nationals the following night, and they made the move official when they optioned Matt Sauer (who was originally called up to take Snell’s spot on the active roster) back to Triple-A in exchange for Wrobleski, who made six starts and appeared in long relief twice last season.

Wrobleski had a great spring training (9 1/3 innings, 1.93 ERA) but was squeezed off of the roster when the Dodgers instead opted to bring Luis García, Ben Casparius, and Jack Dreyer up to complete the bullpen and cover for injuries to Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, and so on. While it’s unlikely that Wrobleski stays up with the team for long, he’ll need to prove that he can make it work in the majors after some rocky first innings in the majors last season.

Landon Knack

Knack traveled with the team to Washington DC and was present during their visit to the White House, which left reason to believe that fans would also be seeing him during LA’s series against the Nationals. The Dodgers still haven’t announced a starter for Wednesday, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they land on Knack and send Wrobleski down as the corresponding move.

Knack, like Wrobleski, didn’t survive the roster squeeze after the Dodgers returned stateside, though he did get his season debut in Tokyo against the Cubs, pitching two scoreless innings out of the bullpen after a short start for Roki Sasaki. Knack got more time in the majors last year than Wrobleski, and he walked away with a decent 3.65 ERA in 12 starts and three relief appearances. He’s also fighting for more of a long-term role on the big league roster, and we should most likely expect to see him cycled out with Wrobleski.

Tony Gonsolin

Gonsolin could spoil Wrobleski and Knack’s opportunities for more major league starts, depending on how long it takes him to complete his current rehab assignment in the minors. He made his first start in Triple-A on Thursday, but the Dodgers shouldn’t try to rush a guy who hasn’t pitched in the majors since August 2023 and is coming off of Tommy John.

If Snell’s injury proves to be serious, Gonsolin will easily slot into the rotation until Shohei Ohtani and/or Clayton Kershaw return, but a lot is riding on his return to the mound after so long away, and he’ll be hoping for a return that’s as productive as Dustin May’s comeback season has been so far.