Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell on a mission, per Dave Roberts

Get healthy, and everything else will take care of itself.Blake Snell has taken this philosophy to the extreme with the Dodgers, but it worked last year and who’s to say it won’t work again this year?A potential three-peat could depend on it, which is why Snell’s start on Tuesday night against the Kansas City Royals will be the most important start made by any Dodgers pitcher this week – and that includes Tarik Skubal’s home debut at Dodger Stadium the night before.Manager Dave Roberts said he spoke to Snell in recent days and was encouraged by how the two-time Cy Young Award winner sounded.“He’s on a mission,” Roberts said.“I like when great, talented players have that mindset.

He hasn’t, unfortunately, been a part of this whole season.But from here on out, it’s a sprint and he’s very focused and, like I said, he’s on a mission.”Snell, who will start for the Dodgers for the first time in three months, has pitched even less than he did last year.Which is another way to say he’s barely pitched at all.Last year, Snell made two starts before he was shut down with a shoulder injury.

He missed four months and pitched the final two months of the regular season. In the postseason, he was phenomenal – until he wasn’t.As the team’s No.1 starter, he won his first three games.

He delivered the performance of a lifetime in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, blanking the Milwaukee Brewers over eight innings.He struck out 10 and gave up only one hit.The victory came at a cost, however, as his shoulder pain returned.“After that start,” Snell recalled this spring, “it was like, ‘Holy s—.’”Snell started twice in the World Series against the Blue Jays and lost both games, but he contributed 1 ⅓ innings of relief in the Dodgers’ epic 11-inning victory in Game 7.The experience shaped how Snell prepared for this season – or, more specifically, the upcoming postseason.The talented lefty spent the winter getting ...