Blake Snell missed all of April with a left shoulder injury. Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell will make his season debut on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves, skipping what was supposed to be his final rehab start, league sources confirmed to The Athletic.
Snell, who is rehabbing from shoulder inflammation that dates back to spring training, was originally slated throw five innings on Saturday with Low-A Ontario, with the Dodgers looking to activate him ahead of their upcoming road series against the Los Angeles Angels. Instead, Snell will start for the Dodgers on Saturday, likely with a 75 pitch limit.
That the Dodgers reversed course is surprising, as the club had declared multiple times their preference to build Snell up past the five inning mark before activating him off the injured list. However, Tyler Glasnow’s shortened start Wednesday in Houston may have contributed to the decision. Glasnow left the game midway through warming up in the second inning with back spasms, but the club was hopeful after the game he’d avoid the IL. Still, the Dodgers could elect to skip his next turn through the rotation as they await further clarity on how Glasnow has recovered.
The California Post first reported Snell’s pending activation.
This story will be updated.
May 8, 2026
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