The Los Angeles signed two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract this offseason. Snell started just two games in a uniform before being placed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation and sidelined for four months.
Upon his return, his command and speed returned to normal standards, but Snell recently revealed to Jack Harris of the LA Times that he would spend the night in the hospital just weeks after his return.
More news: The former Giants pitcher is now with the Blue Jays and hopes to get revenge against the in 2021.
Snell’s wife, Hayley, gave birth to the couple’s second child in late August, but after already feeling “extremely unwell”, she later fainted and was rushed to the emergency room, where she was kept on an IV drip overnight.
“I really couldn’t stand,” he said. “I just felt terrible.”
A few days later, Snell returned to the bump at Stadium. Although he called it “the toughest year of my career” due to the hospitalization, the southpaw didn’t let the illness be the reason he missed the start.
“That’s what I signed up for,” Snell said. “I forget when I’m pitching. I don’t allow many excuses.”
Snell started 11 games and finished the regular season with a 2.35 ERA, but improved to the next level in the postseason. He posted a 0.86 ERA in his first three postseason starts in a uniform, but couldn’t get the defending champions off to the best start in the World Series.
Snell pitched five innings in Game 1 of the Fall Classic against the Toronto Blue Jays, striking out four, walking three, and allowing five earned runs on eight hits. Fortunately, the fought back in Game 2 with Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete-game goal to tie the series and will return to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Monday.
More news: announce when Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow will pitch in the World Series
Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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