Blake Snell returned early from the injured list to make his season debut with Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. It was also his bobblehead night.
Snell was scheduled to make a final rehab start with Single-A Ontario on Saturday. But then starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow landed on the IL with back spasms on Friday, and Snell started for the Dodgers instead.
The initial plan was for Snell to pitch five innings against the Braves.
“[We asked] if he was open to taking the five innings here versus on rehab, and he couldn’t be more excited to do that,” Roberts said of Snell before his start, per the California Post.
However, he only lasted three innings and threw 77 pitches in his first start of the season. Snell also gave up six hits and four earned runs. He walked two batters and struck out five.
A rough return to Dodger Stadium for Blake Snell
Originally scheduled to make a rehab start, Snell instead got the call back to the big league mound and lasted 3 innings on 77 pitches.
The left-hander allowed 6 hits and 4 earned runs, while another run came across following a… pic.twitter.com/eqSjlnttxj
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) May 10, 2026
The Dodgers ultimately lost 7-2 to the Braves.
Although Snell’s season debut did not go as well as he would have hoped, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Snell is progressing in the right direction.
“Certainly this time of year,” Roberts said, per MLB, “the most important thing is guys’ stuff is good, they’re healthy. And in Blake’s case, just kind of getting back into a Major League game and knowing that the stuff is still good, the stuff still plays.”
Snell said he also feels like he is on the right track towards making a full recovery but he still has a lot of work to do.
“I feel really good. I feel like I’m going to recover good. So I’m excited about that,” Snell said, per MLB. “But yeah, I got a lot of work to do to get ready for the next start. Put the bullpen in a position not to cover six innings.”
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The post Dodgers’ Blake Snell Struggles in Season Debut After Early Return From IL appeared first on LA Sports Report.