The Los Angeles Dodgers will enter the 2026 MLB season as heavy favorites to win yet another World Series. The team was already loaded, but opted not to rest on its laurels. The Dodgers went out and signed Kyle Tucker, bolstering an already deadly offense.
But the Dodgers' pitching is still a question mark. One of the biggest concerns has been the health of starting pitcher Blake Snell.
On Thursday, the Dodgers provided some good news on his recovery from a lingering shoulder issue. The 33-year-old lefty is scheduled for his first bullpen session Thursday evening, per Dodgers beat reporter Jack Harris. The hope all along was that Snell would be throwing batting practice sessions before the end of training camp.
There is obviously quite a way to go for the oft-injured Dodgers pitcher. Nevertheless, this is the first major hurdle for Snell to clear.
Snell was limited to just 11 starts in his first season with the Dodgers in 2025. He pitched extremely well, posting a 2.35 ERA over 60 1/3 innings. But the 10-year veteran's stuff was never the question.
Even without Snell in the rotation, Los Angeles is very deep. World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the ace, followed by Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and talented younger Emmet Sheehan.
Ohtani enters the season as healthy as he has in a Dodgers uniform. He has his sights set on pitching all season, while, of course, still doing monster damage at the plate.
While there is no specific timetable for his return, this news is a good step in the right direction for Snell.
