Dodgers, on the brink of clinching the NL West, now have another injury to worry about with Blake Snell

CINCINNATI — Hours before first pitch, rolled-up sheets of plastic hung impatiently above the lockers in the Dodgers ' clubhouse. Ready, like another division title banner, to be unfurled.

Boxes of Italian sparkling and Napa cab sat stacked like Lego blocks in the hallway. Somewhere in the depth of Dodgerland lay a gaggle of protective ski goggles. Reporters brought rain jackets and changes of clothes to the ballyard Wednesday — to ward off the uncomfortable inconvenience of typing while soaked head to toe in booze.

Los Angeles ' magic number was 1, and everybody knew it. Either a win over the Reds or a Padres loss to the Rockies would give the defending champs a remarkable 13th division title in the past 14 seasons.

The first, statistically presumptuous question to manager Dave Roberts during his daily media scrum was about what it means for the Dodgers to be division champs again.

"It's a big deal. It's not easy," he said. "I think a lot of people think that it's easy. [But] it's a rite of passage. It's hard to win a division when everyone's gunning for you, to keep guys motivated to play the course of 162. So it's something we're all really proud of. ...

"Hopefully we can win a ballgame and pop some Champagne."

Roberts and the Dodgers will have to wait at least another 20 hours to drink in their accomplishments. The Reds beat them Wednesday by a score of 6-2 , and San Diego won 9-3 in Denver . L.A.'s magic number remains at 1 .

That said, the division itself is fait accompli. The Dodgers will win, and the Padres will lose, and these dudes will get to douse one another in suds to their hearts' content. But the lasting story of Wednesday's ballgame was not the collection of unpopped bottles. Rather, it was the left groin of a pitcher with a concerning history of injury issues.

Blake Snell , owner of the highest qualified career strikeout rate in MLB history, departed this game after just one inning of work . His fastball velocity was down 1.5 mph from his season average. After picking Sal Stewart off first to end the frame, the southpaw bounded down the dugout steps, not to reappear. Down in the tunnel, he conferred with Roberts, pitching coach Mark Prior and head athletic trainer Thomas Albert. Together, they decided to play it safe. The Dodgers later announced that Snell left due to left groin tightness.

After the game, Snell framed his exit as precautionary, informing reporters that he doesn't expect to get imaging done.

"I'm definitely happy I stopped," the two-time Cy Young hummed in his typical low register. "See how the next couple of days go, and then get ready to pitch."

Snell said he first felt discomfort on the penultimate pitch of his pregame bullpen. Initially, he intended to fight through the issue, to try and get through five, but he changed course once the first inning finished.

Critically, this is not the first time Snell has had a problem with this particular area of his body. He went on the IL in 2021, 2022 and twice in 2024 due to either a "left groin strain" or a "left adductor strain."

"The groin, I've strained it four different times," he said. "I'm aware that if I'd kept pitching, I definitely would have strained it. For me to stop, that's a first. Maybe I'm growing up — I don't know — but [it was] definitely the right move."

Mature discretion aside, the severity of the injury remains an open question. Both Snell and Roberts told reporters that the team plans to take a wait-and-see approach. How Snell feels Thursday and Friday will dictate the course of action moving forward. Still, Roberts didn't exactly adopt an optimistic tone postgame.

"I don't think anyone can sit here right now and say what's going to happen in the next week to 10 days," he admitted.

Roberts is right. Snell's injury further complicates Los Angeles' path to a three-peat. As evidenced over the past few days against a bad Reds team, this Dodgers offense, as currently constructed, is not capable of carrying the roster on its shoulders. And so, as was the case last year, the Dodgers will need to lean on their otherworldly pitching staff to navigate the October gauntlet. It's a reasonable plan , but one that hinges on Snell being healthy and available.

Were he to miss significant time, that would likely push Roki Sasaki back into the playoff rotation. Sasaki himself is currently sidelined due to a blister issue, though he threw live to hitters on the field before Wednesday's game. The expectation was that Sasaki, upon return, would move into a relief role. That's what happened last October, when the wiry-limbed righty dominated out of the bullpen after a disappointing regular season. Not having Sasaki available late in games would put more strain on an already fraying relief group that includes a discombobulated Edwin Díaz and an injured Edgardo Henriquez .

It's also a reminder that this Dodgers roster is getting long in the tooth. Los Angeles has the oldest average age in baseball. That experience, in recent years, has paid massive dividends. But Father Time is undefeated, and Snell's injury, in addition to the ailments facing Freddie Freeman , Shohei Ohtani and others , casts an added spotlight on the frailty that comes with age.