Blake Snell Lined Up To Return Saturday Against Giants

Blake Snell is lined up to make one more start before the Dodgers begin their postseason run.

After completing a bullpen session Tuesday, Snell is expected to return to the rotation Saturday against the Giants in San Francisco. It would be his first appearance since leaving his September 16 start against the Reds with tightness in his left groin.

“He threw a ’pen today, and the thought is he’s going to pitch on Saturday in the Bay,” Dave Roberts said Tuesday.

The plan remains contingent on Snell continuing to respond well physically. He could complete another bullpen session or throwing test before the Dodgers give him the final clearance to start.

Snell Avoided A More Serious Groin Injury

Snell first felt discomfort while throwing a slider near the end of his pregame bullpen session in Cincinnati.

Although he went forward with the start, Snell acknowledged that he was not driving off his back leg normally and felt as though he was guiding the ball toward the plate. He completed a scoreless first inning before deciding not to continue.

Snell allowed one single, recorded one strikeout and threw 19 pitches before leaving the game.

The decision to stop early appears to have helped him avoid turning the tightness into a more significant strain. Snell has dealt with left-groin and adductor injuries during previous seasons, but he said this episode did not feel as severe.

He was held out of his scheduled start against the Padres, giving him additional time to recover before Tuesday’s bullpen session.

Why The Dodgers Want Snell To Pitch Before October

The Dodgers could have chosen to rest Snell through the remainder of the regular season, but that would have created another concern.

Snell has already had an interrupted season because of shoulder fatigue and arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow. Allowing him to sit until the postseason would create another extended break immediately before he is expected to face playoff competition.

Roberts previously explained that the Dodgers want Snell to make another start so he can maintain his preparation and avoid entering October without enough recent game action.

A bullpen session can help Snell test his delivery and the condition of his groin, but it cannot fully reproduce the intensity of facing hitters in a Major League game.

Saturday’s start would allow him to sharpen his command, rebuild his workload and confirm that he can pitch without protecting his left leg.

The Dodgers have not announced how many pitches or innings Snell would be expected to throw.

Snell Has Been Dominant When Healthy

Snell has made only eight starts this season, but he has looked like a potential postseason difference-maker whenever he has been available.

The left-hander owns a 4-1 record with a 1.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 52 strikeouts across 38⅔ innings.

Before his abbreviated outing in Cincinnati, Snell had gone 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 46 strikeouts in six starts following his return from elbow surgery.

That performance has made him an important part of the Dodgers’ October plans despite his limited regular-season workload.

The challenge has been keeping him on the mound.

His latest setback appears to have been relatively minor, but Saturday will provide the clearest indication yet of whether the groin issue is truly behind him.

Dodgers’ Rotation Is Taking Shape

The Dodgers have Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Padres, followed by Tyler Glasnow on Thursday.

Tarik Skubal is expected to return from the bereavement list and start Friday’s series opener in San Francisco, with Snell following Saturday.

That alignment would give Los Angeles an opportunity to evaluate four potential postseason starters during the final week of the regular season.

The Dodgers have not announced their playoff rotation or guaranteed Snell a particular assignment.

For now, the priority is getting him through one more regular-season start without another setback.

If Snell responds well Saturday, he can enter October with recent game action behind him—and the Dodgers can feel considerably better about one of the most important arms in their postseason rotation.