Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell will be tabbed with Game 1 of the National League wild-card series against the Cincinnati Reds, manager Dave Roberts announced Monday.
The two-time Cy Young winner will be followed up by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and if necessary, "potentially" Shohei Ohtani for a winner-take-all game three.
Los Angeles brought in Snell to join their dubbed 'super rotation' in December of 2024 on a five-year, $182-million contract, but he missed time with left shoulder inflammation after making just two starts. He returned in August to cruise down the stretch with a 2.41 ERA and 68 strikeouts in nine starts.
The 32-year-old recently pitched in the post-season with the San Diego Padres in 2022, and over 12 career playoff games, holds a 3.33 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP.
The last time he faced the Reds, he spun the 325th no-hitter in MLB history as a member of the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 2, 2024.
Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA) didn’t pitch for the Dodgers last season while recovering from a second elbow surgery. He became the first player in major league history with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases as the Dodgers won the World Series over the New York Yankees.
The two-way superstar never made the playoffs during six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
At the plate, Ohtani revived himself this month, hitting .312 with 10 home runs and a 1.165 OPS. He finished the regular season with a career-high 55 homers, one more than last season.
“He can beat you with his legs, he can beat you with his arm,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “He's a generational talent.”
Right-handed starter Tyler Glasnow will be moved to the bullpen after a shortened outing in his final appearance of the season. After missing two months on the injured list also with shoulder inflammation, Glasnow posted an impressive ERA of 2.86 with 83 strikeouts in 13 appearances since his return.
Roberts also stated that future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw will not be included on their wild-card roster. The 18-year veteran received an emotional send-off in their final regular-season game on Sunday (throwing 94 pitches) at home in what could be his final start after announcing his retirement in the off-season.
Opposite the Dodgers, Francona will send out young flamethrower Hunter Greene for the opener, with Zack Littell and Andrew Abbott to follow. Left-handed starter Nick Lodolo will be available out of the bullpen.
--With files from The Associated Press
