Injuries don't like company in baseball, but they continue to pile on early in the 2025 season.
This week, Blake Snell, Justin Steele, and Wyatt Langford have all landed on the injury list. Snell has a shoulder injury, Langford is still dealing with an oblique injury, and Steele is wrestling left elbow tendonitis again.
Let's take a deeper look at their injuries and the respective timelines for each player.
Blake Snell, Justin Steele and Wyatt Langford land on the shelf with injuries
SP Blake Snell, Los Angeles Dodgers
Snell has landed on the injury list with left shoulder inflammation and is expected to miss two starts. The two-time Cy Young award-winner was feeling pain in his shoulder following a bullpen session on Sunday.
Blake Snell lands on the IL with a shoulder injury pic.twitter.com/3Qf3RZCr1I
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 6, 2025
Luckily, following an MRI, there doesn't appear to be any structural damage. But Snell has played through the pain in his last two outings and has surrendered 10 hits and eight walks with only four strikeouts. Justin Wrobleski will be replacing Snell and looking to uphold the standards of the big free agent addition.
This is the ninth time in Snell's career that he has missed time due to injury or illness, and his shoulder and elbow have given him persistent trouble throughout his career. The Dodgers will be hoping this isn't indicative of what the next five years of Snell's career will look like.
SP Justin Steele, Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs placed left-handed starter Justin Steele on the 15-day IL with tendinitis in his left elbow on April 9th. This injury came as a shock, two days following a solid performance where he racked up eight strikeouts and threw seven scoreless innings.
Justin Steele goes on 15-day IL with left elbow tendinitis as Chicago Cubs ‘take the conservative route’ https://t.co/gun9psRMFg
— Chicago Tribune Sports (@ChicagoSports) April 9, 2025
While the injury isn't severe, his absence still leaves a void in the rotation with the Cubs' lack of high-end pitching depth. Colin Rea will likely get the first crack at replacing Steele, who is now on the Injured List for the second time in seven months with the same elbow issue.
OF Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers will be without left fielder Wyatt Langford as he's on the 10-day IL with a grade one right oblique strain. It's unfortunate, as he's been a big offensive weapon early this season. During the game that he exited, he went 2-for-4 at the plate with a home run and a double.
Wyatt Langford hits the shelf pic.twitter.com/C9UzYKkdCU
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 9, 2025
Langord talked about the frustrations with his injury after the game.
“It's frustrating any time you get hurt, really,” Langford said. “I really want to be out there playing, especially when we're playing really well. The guys showed it today, it’s not like I need to be in the lineup. They’re all plenty good enough.”