The Los Angeles Dodgers reinstated Blake Snell from the 60-day injured list and optioned Paul Gervase to Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The team has not yet announced a corresponding 40-man roster move.
Snell returns to start the middle game of the weekend series to face his former team at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Snell spent the first five seasons of his career with the Rays and among other accolades, won the 2018 American League Cy Young Award.
Snell went 42-30 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.24 WHIP as a member of the Rays. He paired with Tyler Glasnow to help lead the Rays to the World Series in 2020, which was won by the Dodgers.
Saturday’s outing is exactly four months to the day since Snell last pitched for the Dodgers.
Snell managed to make just two starts in his first season with the Dodgers before going on the 15-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation. The initial belief was he wouldn’t miss much time, but the recovery process included unexpected delays.
That entailed receiving a cortisone injection and Snell being shut down. He eventually started a throwing program and progressively built up from there.
Snell began a rehab assignment on July 10 and made four starts during its duration. He pitched once each for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and the Arizona Complex League Dodgers, then twice with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
In the four rehab outings, Snell posted a 1.32 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 24 strikeouts against five walks across 13.2 innings.
Gervase heads to Oklahoma City after spending one day up with the Dodgers. He was acquired as part of a three-team trade with the Cincinnati Reds and Rays.
Gervase made his MLB debut with the Rays this season, appearing in five games.
Dodgers’ plan with Blake Snell
Manager Dave Roberts noted Snell is fully built up and capable of pitching six innings in his first start back, but the team will be mindful of the humid weather expected during the early afternoon game.
“If it’s a little bit less, than it is,” Roberts said.
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