LOS ANGELES — Turns out two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell had more on his mind than the lineup of the visiting Detroit Tigers last week when he made his first start as a Dodger.

A day earlier, his home in Woodway, Wash., was broken into, the latest in a disturbing string of burglaries targeting the homes of prominent professional athletes. Three days later, former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman was the victim of an armed robbery that took place with his family inside their Maple Valley, Wash., home when the break-in took place.

It is unclear whether the burglars are connected to South American theft groups that have targeted Dodgers, Lakers, Rams and LAFC players, among others. Seven Chilean nationals were charged in federal court in February with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property after they allegedly executed well-planned burglaries of more than $2 million from the homes of NFL stars Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow and NBA player Bobby Portis while they competed in games.

According to the 20-page FBI complaint, key evidence was obtained because the men allegedly posted incriminating photos on an iCloud site.

The Los Angeles homes of Dodgers infielders Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman were burglarized in 2023. Muncy's home was broken into by two people while he and his family were at Dodger Stadium. Freeman's home also was burglarized while he was away. The Dallas home of Luka Doncic was burglarized in December before he was traded by the Mavericks to the Lakers.

Snell, his wife and infant son were not home at the time of their break-in, and it is unclear from a police report what, if anything, was stolen. The left-hander, who as a free agent signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers during the offseason, pitched five innings March 27 and notched his first win with his new team.

"We are working with the victim and their representatives to determine more about what may have been stolen," the Edmonds (Wash.) Police Department said in a statement. "Our detective unit is actively investigating the burglary and is sharing information with other law enforcement agencies to help develop potential suspects.

Edmonds Police Commander Josh McClure told a Seattle news station that detectives are investigating whether the two break-ins are connected. Woodway is 15 miles northwest of Seattle while Maple Valley is 25 miles southeast of Seattle.

"Woodway is kind of hard to find, so you either have to be really lost or know where you're going," McClure said. "We immediately started thinking this could be potentially related to the [Sherman break-in], and detectives are really good about sharing information when they have similar types of cases, and we're doing that now."

Snell, 32, was born and raised near Seattle and was a first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays out of Shorewood High School in Shoreline, Wash., in 2011.

McClure said there is "some indication" that more than one suspect entered Snell's home. Sherman shared alarming video from his residential security cameras of his home being burglarized at gunpoint by three men shortly after midnight March 30 — which happened to be the three-time All-Pro's 37th birthday.

"House being robbed at gun point with my family in it isn't what anyone wants for a birthday gift," Sherman wrote on X. "Scary situation that my wife handled masterfully and kept my kids safe. If anyone has any info that can help find these people please reach out."

The FBI issued a formal warning to sports leagues in December about organized theft groups targeting professional athletes.

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