The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting closer to a key milestone in the recovery of left-handed pitcher Blake Snell, and his latest outing offered plenty of encouraging signs. On Saturday night, Snell pitched 4⅔ scoreless, hitless innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City against the Reno Aces, in what may have been his final rehab start in the minors.

Snell struck out seven and issued four walks across 75 pitches — nearly evenly split between 36 balls and 40 strikes. Despite occasional control issues, the southpaw kept the opposing offense off the board, showcasing the dominant pitching that earned him a Cy Young Award. He generated 18 swinging strikes, including 11 on 22 curveballs and sliders.

This represented Snell's fourth rehab start since being put on the shelf with left shoulder inflammation in early April. The prior three were with Rancho Cucamonga (Low-A), in the Arizona Complex League during the All-Star break, and one with Oklahoma City. In those four starts, Snell has thrown 13⅔ innings, with a 1.32 ERA, 24 strikeouts, five walks, and a 45.3% strikeout rate.

The Dodgers have been careful with the injuries to their rotation, and Snell's response is timely. The trade deadline in MLB is July 31, and the team might be getting help from players returning from the injured list instead of trades. Snell could return to the rotation much sooner than anticipated.

That potential return carries extra meaning: he would be in line to face the Tampa Bay Rays, the team he spent five seasons with and won the American League Cy Young Award in 2018. It would mark Snell's first MLB start since April 2.

His performance in Reno wasn't without tense moments. In the third inning, he caught Sergio Alcántara leaning off first, but an error kept the runner on base. A grounder to Alex Freeland later turned into an inning-ending double play. Though he allowed baserunners, Snell avoided damage thanks to his ability to miss bats and induce weak contact.

With his rehab assignment nearly complete, the Dodgers appear ready to welcome back a key arm just as they prepare to strengthen their rotation for the season's stretch run.

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