Dodgers’ Blake Snell gets encouraging update from Dave Roberts

“He’s getting closer than he was,” Roberts said about Snell. “He threw some breaking yesterday, which is really good to see. I’m sure he’s getting closer, I don’t know the date. Given what I saw yesterday, he’s getting closer.”

The Dodgers target early July for Snell’s return to the rotation. With Ohtani back on the mound, Roberts now waits for Glasnow, Snell, and Roki Sasaki to return. Throwing bullpen sessions is a big step in the right direction for Snell, though.

The biggest story of the Dodgers’ season has been their starting pitching. Yoshinobu Yamamoto stepped up for Los Angeles in a big way early in the season and is still dominant. He helped the team tread water without his fellow starters early in the season. Now that they are starting to come back, he is under much less pressure to consistently deliver.

Glasnow’s return is set for early July, but all three Dodgers’ pitchers will need rehab starts. Regardless, fans are happy to wait if it means that their starters can come back and be dominant. Even Ohtani is being slowly worked back into shape.

If they all return to full health, the Dodgers’ rotation is one of the most intimidating in the league. Yamamoto is one of the front-runners for the National League Cy Young Award. Kershaw and Snell have already won it. Ohtani and Glasnow throw as hard as anyone when they are right. Combined, the defending World Series champions have very few weaknesses.

The Dodgers have embraced the challenge of the season. Los Angeles’ players don’t want to get caught in a World Series hangover, and Roberts has them playing well. The Dodgers hold a slight lead in their division, but need to step up after the Giants’ big move.

Getting Snell back in the rotation is one of Robert’s biggest goals for the season. If he comes back at 100%, he is a pitcher that no team wants to see on the mound.