The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting closer to adding a Cy Young Award winner to their starting rotation. Left-hander Blake Snell has a definite timeline of return to the team. Snell, who has spent most of this season sidelined due to elbow surgery and shoulder fatigue, will begin a rehab assignment next week, according to the Athletic’s Katie Woo. Manager Dave Roberts said that Snell will likely need to make four or five rehab starts before he will be activated off the injured list.
Blake Snell to Begin Rehab Assignment Next Week
Worth the Wait?
The Dodgers signed Snell to buttress their rotation in the winter of 2025. Los Angeles didn’t have a healthy starting five all year. Snell was supposed to give them depth. However, the Dodgers had to pick and choose spots where to use the two-time Cy Young winner, as he has had his fair share of injuries as well. Despite using him sparingly, Snell was effective when he had to be, specifically during the rounds preceding the World Series. His starts were pivotal in getting the Dodgers to the Fall Classic.
The key here is ensuring there are no setbacks in the rehab process. As Dave Roberts acknowledged today, at this point of the season, another setback would be difficult to overcome.
Health of Dodgers’ SPs in particular could influence the club’s trade deadline path. https://t.co/48QsRHfKNU
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) July 11, 2026
Medical Leave
Eventually, the workload took its toll, and Los Angeles slow-walked Blake Snell’s participation into 2026, letting the baseball world know he wouldn’t be ready by Opening Day. However, when he returned, he was a shell of himself. He pitched just three innings and accumulated a 12.00 ERA. The left-hander’s impeccable control and pitch movement were missing. The pain persisted, and the procedure was done soon after. Snell began a throwing program just three weeks after the surgery and says he feels the best he’s felt in two years.
Fighting for a Rotation Spot
The Dodgers have instituted a six-man rotation to preserve the health of their starters. One would assume there are enough spots for everyone. However, there will probably be one starter on the outside looking in. Justin Wrobleski, who fought for a rotation spot at the beginning of the year, has been a stabilizing force and something of a hidden ace on a pitching staff that has been through a lot, including the growing pains of Roki Sasaki and the up-and-down year of Emmet Sheehan. The left-hander’s 10-2 record and sub-3.00 ERA have earned him a trip to Philadelphia for the All-Star Game.
Uneven Progress
The Dodgers have been very vocal that they are committed to keeping Sasaki in the rotation. The evolution of the roller coaster has had its share of highs and lows this year. The addition of pitches and adjustments on the fly has been interesting to watch. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is Roki. His dominating stretches explain why the Dodgers continue to be high on him. However, it remains a work in progress.
As for Sheehan, 2026 has been a perplexing study in contrasts. He has struggled to keep the velocity of his fastball in its normal impressive range. Not surprisingly, the decrease in miles per hour has led many to wonder if he is fully healthy. The effectiveness of his repertoire has been overly dependent on his changeup. However, in the last couple of outings, he has looked more like the 2025 version of himself.
This leads to the question: if everyone in the rotation is healthy, is Sheehan destined for the bullpen? Or will the right-hander be on the top of other organizations’ wish-lists if the Dodgers trade for a frontline starter in August? Of course, all this speculation is a moot point if Los Angeles can’t avoid a major injury during the stretch run this year.
One Final Note…
The Dodgers activated Landon Knack before the start of Saturday’s game. Knack has not been available this year due to an oblique injury. To make room for him on the roster, they optioned right-handed reliever Kyle Hurt to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Hurt has been struggling with his control of late.
The Dodgers reinstated RHP Landon Knack from the injured list and optioned RHP Kyle Hurt to Triple-A Oklahoma City. In order to make room for Knack on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated LHP Charlie Barnes for assignment.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 11, 2026
Decisions loom for the Dodgers in the second half. Right now, though, they just need to make it to the All-Star break in one piece.
Main Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
