Snell strikes out four in scoreless rehab start
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Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell made a big step towards returning to a Major League mound on Thursday.
Snell made his first rehab start with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, striking out four batters in two scoreless innings. Snell allowed just one hit without issuing any walks and threw 23 of 31 pitches for strikes. The 32-year-old left hander only made two starts with the Dodgers on March 27 and April 2 before he was placed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation.
“I’m just looking to feel connected, synced, that my arm is feeling like it’s in the right place,” Snell said on July 5. “And then, when I pitch, just be healthy, repeating my delivery, not overthrowing. That’s about it. Just trying to master my delivery.”
Snell began throwing a week after being placed on the IL on April 6, only to be shut down after one bullpen session. He said it took until the end of May for him to be able to play catch without feeling any lingering pain in his shoulder.
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“It’s tough watching all the games, knowing you’re never gonna play. That’s difficult. You be a good teammate, get excited for the boys. But it’s tough, because when you’re hurt, you’re an outcast. It’s just the way it is,” Snell said. “But then knowing that you’re getting closer, you can feel it. You get more excited to finally do something to help the team. It just becomes very exciting.”
The goal is for Snell to make at least three rehab starts or to stretch to around five innings in a start before he can be an option for the Dodgers, similar to how Tyler Glasnow’s rehab process was. In Milwaukee on Wednesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com’s Sonja Chen that both Snell and Blake Treinen will go to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League next week during the All-Star break so that they don't miss those four days, putting them on track to return by the end of the month.
Speaking of Treinen, he also made his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, striking out two hitters in a 1-2-3 inning. Treinen has been on the injured list since April 19 with a right forearm strain. Treinen’s return would add some much-needed stability to a Dodgers bullpen -- and pitching staff as a whole -- that has been decimated by injuries.