Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell made a rehab start for the Ontario Tower Buzzers in what may be his last rehab start before coming back to the major leagues.
Snell, a pricey veteran pitcher, has not played more than one game this season. He started the year on the injured list, nursing his shoulder through fatigue to avoid a more serious shoulder injury.
He ramped up slowly, but Snell eventually worked himself back and made a start in May against the Atlanta Braves.
However, his return was short-lived as he went back on the injured list with loose bodies in his elbow, resulting in more time on the shelf.
Snell underwent surgery with the famous NanoNeedle, a less invasive surgery that leads to faster recovery, and while he has ramped up slowly again, this time he looks and feels better than ever.
How Snell dominated in possibly his last rehab start
Snell pitched four innings on Wednesday in Ontario, totaling 60 pitches. He totaled nine strikeouts, and his fastball lived around 95-96 MPH.
The Single-A hitters could not touch him, and his command was really good, hitting his marks for the most part and looking notably comfortable, with a few points of frustration regarding his delivery.
Manager Dave Roberts said that the goal was for Snell to pitch four innings, for a total of 60 pitches, and the lefty exactly hit his mark.
Tower Buzzers manager John Shoemarker told Dodgers Nation that the target number was always 60-65 pitches, and the innings could come down to how efficiently Snell pitched.
Luckily, Snell was able to do whatever he wanted with the baseball. He threw 45 strikes out of 60 pitches.
What is next for Blake Snell?
The Dodgers can take two different paths — either insert him into the rotation now or have him pitch another rehab start.
LA only has five pitchers in their rotation currently since Ohtani is out of the mix, meaning they need another starter for their six-man rotation to go as usual.
The Dodgers could cut his rehab short and bring him up within the next week.
The decision will depend on how Snell responds, but considering how good he looks and how healthy he seems (Snell looked like he could have easily gone for another inning or two just by his demeanor), it would be surprising if the Dodgers didn’t call him up.
