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MLB.com published a fresh round of injury updates on three key Dodgers working their way back: Blake Snell, Edwin Díaz, and Will Smith. All three have been sidelined for stretches this season, and the club is tracking their respective return timelines as we push toward the second half.

Snell has been one of the most fascinating arms in the game over the past few years. The left-hander won the Cy Young with Tampa Bay in 2018, then did it again with San Diego in 2023 — becoming just the sixth pitcher in MLB history to win the award in both leagues. He signed with the Dodgers as part of the franchise’s ongoing commitment to stockpiling elite pitching, but staying on the field has been the challenge. When healthy, Snell is a legitimate front-of-the-rotation starter with a wipeout slider and the ability to dominate entire lineups. Getting him back in the mix would be a massive boost to a pitching staff that’s already deep but could always use another ace-caliber arm, especially with October in mind.

Díaz brings a completely different profile. The right-handed reliever made his name as one of the most dominant closers in baseball during his time with the Mets, highlighted by his absurd 2022 campaign where he posted a 1.31 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 62 innings. His fastball-slider combination at its best is nearly unhittable. The Dodgers brought him in to fortify the back end of the bullpen — an area that has burned this franchise in past postseasons. His absence has forced the club to lean on other arms in high-leverage spots, and while the bullpen has generally held up, there’s a difference between good and having a true shutdown closer available in the ninth.

Smith, meanwhile, is the heartbeat of the everyday lineup behind the plate. He’s been the Dodgers’ primary catcher since 2019 and has consistently produced offensively at a position where that kind of bat is rare. Smith is a switch-hitter with real pop — he’s averaged around 20 home runs per season over the last few years — and his pitch-framing and game-calling have improved steadily. Losing your starting catcher always creates a ripple effect through the roster, from lineup construction to how the pitching staff operates on a daily basis. Getting him back healthy would stabilize both sides of the ball.

The timing of these updates matters. We’re approaching the All-Star break, and the Dodgers are in a position where reinforcements from the injured list could function almost like trade deadline acquisitions. Instead of giving up prospects for outside help (though that’s clearly on the table too, given the Skubal rumors), getting Snell, Díaz, and Smith back would add an ace starter, a lockdown reliever, and an everyday catcher without costing the farm. That’s the kind of depth that wins in October. I’ll be watching all three of these return timelines closely over the next few weeks.

Source(s): Staff (MLB.com) | First reported: June 27, 2026 7:17 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers