Los Angeles Dodgers southpaw Blake Snell had his hands tied last season. 

In 2025, Snell only managed to start 11 games for the Dodgers as he was dealing with a persistent shoulder issue. 

He was on the Injured List for four months before making his return just as the Dodgers were ramping up to make a push for October. 

Snell was a factor for the Dodgers in his postseason appearances. 

In six games pitched, he posted a 3.18 ERA in 34 innings pitched. He struck out 41 batters and recorded a 3-2 record. 

After the Dodgers secured their back-to-back titles and the confetti wore out, Snell went to work.

Though he was absent when pitchers and catchers were set to report in early February, Snell made a jolt on the Richter scale on Thursday. 

Thursday was the first time that Snell threw a bullpen session for the Dodgers in spring camp. 

It was a minimal effort bullpen session for the southpaw, tossing only 15 pitches and topping out at 89 mph. According to Dodgers beat reporter Sonja Chen of MLB.com, Snell is roughly six weeks away from a full ramp-up into big league play. 

Snell has been hopeful before spring commenced that he could be available before Opening Day, then set his sights on the middle of April. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided some realistic expectations on Snell's potential return. 

"This is not a max-effort bullpen," Roberts said. "So yeah, he’s on the mound, which is great, but until he’s kind of going full steam ahead, then we really don’t know what we've got.”

Roberts continued by saying that the six-week estimate for his return is "the floor," and there's no concrete estimate because a rehab assignment is most likely in place. 

Snell has also been reiterating that he's been taking his rehab and preparation slowly, compared to past offseasons. 

He is also trusting the Dodgers' methods of a slow ramp-up to ensure not only his efficiency, but longevity, for 2026. 

The Dodgers could afford to wait on Snell's return with depth at the starting rotation that is hard to fathom. 

Both Roberts and Snell agreed that he is in a good place for how he's felt thus far. 

Taking part in a bullpen session, albeit at low intensity, is a step in the right direction regardless. 

If you take into account the projected six-week floor and the plan of a rehab assignment, then more likely than not, Snell will debut in May. 

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