San Diego Padres: 3 takeaways from Tuesday's loss to Chicago Cubs

San Diego Padres need to take the heat from Blake Snell

Blake Snell came into the Cubs game with many questions being asked about his suitability in the starting rotation. None were answered. Snell is a shadow of the pitcher he has been. For example, he's not a 5.48 ERA pitcher. Well, he is in 2023 and the Padres need to act to protect him.

Snell's pitching numbers tell a story. He's throwing more fastballs in 2023, yet he's been homered against four times already (two short of last year's total). Perhaps it's a drop in velocity, according to Baseball Savant, with 94.5 mph vs 95.8, and 12.3% barrel percentage suggests that batters are reading Snell and making him pay.

The Padres need to replace Snell in the rotation and work with him to determine the issue. Snell is a Cy Young award winner and is 30 years old. He's got plenty left in his arm, yet something is not right.