Hilarious Blake Snell conspiracy theory just engulfed Dodgers on social media

Just as the Los Angeles Dodgers hit a skid and seemed to be searching for answers, Blake Snell emerged from the IL ready to save the day. Taking the mound on August 11 against the Kansas City Royals, and looking to build upon the momentum of Tarik Skubal's home debut to string together a pair of wins for the first time since August 2-3, Snell was excellent.

The veteran lefty went six strong, allowing just one run, three hits, and a walk, all while striking out 10. It was a welcome sign after last year's shoulder issue bled into this season, and his first attempt at a comeback was quickly knocked off track by elbow surgery to remove loose bodies after just one horrid three-inning start on May 9.

The dominance Snell displayed has thrown some rival fans into a tizzy. Some have even made hilariously outlandish claims, such as accusing Snell of pretending to be hurt so that the Dodgers could preserve him for the stretch run.

Calling the Dodgers "scam artists" is rich and doesn't make much sense. If Snell was never hurt and Los Angeles was simply saving him, why not bring him back a week earlier to prevent the club's seven-game losing streak from ever happening?

Rival fans hating on Blake Snell's return are simply jealous of the Dodgers' depth

We've certainly joked in the past that the Dodgers should save certain players for October, but to seriously consider it as a strategy is another thing entirely. If this were actually true, then Edwin Diaz wouldn't be struggling after returning from the same sort of procedure Snell underwent.

On top of that, if you're going to try and make a conspiratorial claim, try using a different example than Snell. The 33-year-old's lengthy injury history already contradicts the point. It's not like this guy has been the picture of health over the years and suddenly the Dodgers invented an injury just to keep him fresh.

The star southpaw has topped the 130-inning plateau just twice in his career, taking home the Cy Young trophy in both instances. He threw just 61⅔ innings in the first year of his five-year $182 million contract with Los Angeles. The guy is always hurt, but when he's not, he's a top-tier starter in the MLB.

And that's the real point. The Dodgers are able to afford to pay Snell a massive amount, knowing full well that he'll miss significant chunks of time because they want the upside that he provides, and they know that they have the depth to withstand the time he'll miss.

It's not just Snell, either. The same can be said for Tyler Glasnow, who again came to LA with a laundry list of past ailments that made it clear he was never going to be a 180-inning-plus workhorse.

But when you have guys like Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan (despite his struggles this season) waiting in the wings, you can afford to take those kinds of gambles. When you have the scouting and development chops to pluck a guy like Eric Lauer off the scrap heap and turn him into a quality mid-rotation arm, you can take more risks.

And when you have developed a farm system that allows you to go out and get Skubal when all else has failed, then you are truly benefiting from your depth.

That's what this is really about. The Dodgers have built depth at every level, and it allows them to take big swings on elite talents that others would shy away from due to checkered injury reports. It's what allows them to withstand injuries without skipping too many beats. Finally, the depth allows them to swing a blockbuster when they really need to. There's no conspiracy here, just an organization firing on all cylinders from top to bottom.

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