Snell makes rehab debut pitching over one inning, expected to return to Los Angeles Dodgers by late May.

Los Angeles Dodgers' two-time Cy Young Award-winning left-handed pitcher Blake Snell today made his first live mound appearance of the season in Class A Ontario, taking a key step toward recovering from left shoulder fatigue.

Snell pitched over one inning in a road game against Class A San Jose, throwing 32 pitches with 21 strikes. The game took place about an hour's drive south of Oracle Park, where the parent clubs Dodgers and Giants were also facing off that evening. Snell allowed three hits and two runs (one earned), issued one walk, and recorded no strikeouts.

Manager Dave Roberts had stated the previous day that Snell was expected to pitch three innings, but perhaps two separate mound appearances were a more realistic plan. Snell had previously extended his pitch count to two innings only in live batting practice sessions—a training method that helps increase pitch volume but lacks the pressure of an official game. Being able to pitch two innings in batting practice did not mean he was ready to further extend his innings in his first appearance since the World Series.

Snell faced a situation with runners on base in the first inning, as the first two batters hit first-pitch singles and drew a walk. However, he promptly induced a double play to erase one runner, then ended the inning with a pop fly to first base, leaving the runner at third.

In the second inning, all four batters Snell faced reached base, but the defense provided little support. Cam Maldonado reached on an error by second baseman Joendry Vargas, stole second, and scored on Damian Bravo's double. Bravo then stole third and scored on Jeremiah Jenkins' single. Fernando Gonzales reached on a fielder's choice, while Jenkins safely took second due to an error by third baseman Chase Harlan.

Snell's assignment ended here, and right-handed pitcher Accimias Morales took over, preventing the two runners Snell left from scoring.

Snell needs to extend his pitch count to approximately 5 innings or 75 pitches before returning to the Major League mound. Having already pitched into the second inning today, Snell is expected to require at least three more rehab starts, with activation possible by late May if this pace continues.

Snell was placed on the 15-day injured list at the start of the season due to left shoulder fatigue. Last year, he spent four months on the injured list with inflammation in the same shoulder, and he stated that even after returning, he never regained his best form. In the first season of his 5-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers, Snell posted a regular-season record of 5 wins, 4 losses, and a 2.35 ERA over 11 starts, with a 3.18 ERA over six postseason appearances (including five starts).