Dodgers' Blake Snell Still Dealing With Pain in Shoulder Injury

The Los Angeles Dodgers already have quite a few pitchers on the injured list at this point in the season, but a two-time Cy Young award winner is working to get back onto the mound as soon as he can.

Blake Snell recently revealed to the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett that “the pain lingers here and there,” regarding his shoulder inflammation that turned into an IL stint, but felt good about his first bullpen session since being away from the team.

“Once I get throwing, I’m good. … When I play catch, I don’t feel it. When I get out here, I’m good. It’s like when I wake up I gotta get it going.”

When the southpaw's shoulder is activated, he appears to be pain free, but the more stagnant moment — like after a few hours of sleep — is when the inflammation returns.

Snell also expressed his interest to get back on the diamond and lack of worries after the recent IL stint.

“I just want to pitch,” he said. “Am I worried about it? No. I was worried about it when I went on the IL but not any more. It feels way better.”

Snell is just two seasons removed from his second Cy Young award, and can't wait to continue showing the baseball world of his talents — but in terms of recovery, admitted his body isn't the same one of his youth.

“Hey – I’m 32 now, not 23,” he said.

When fellow All-Star Freddie Freeman took a brief IL stint earlier this month, he made an admission that perhaps Snell can better understand now.

“I hate to admit it,” Freeman said, “but I might have needed these 10 days.”

Snell still has to produce at least another bullpen and face live batters before returning to the mound — whether it be a Triple-A assignment or the Dodgers rotation — but perhaps the southpaw needed the pause in MLB play to get back on track to his fullest health.