Blake Snell Falters in Dodgers Debut as Braves Win

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By lines

May 10, 2026

Blake Snell’s 2026 Dodgers season debut did not go as planned Saturday at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Atlanta Braves despite Snell’s long-awaited activation from the injured list. Snell had been sidelined with shoulder fatigue since spring before returning Saturday. Yahoo Sports reported Snell struggled through the debut as Los Angeles dropped the contest to Atlanta.

Glasnow’s Back Spasm Forced the Dodgers’ Hand on Snell

The Dodgers originally planned one more rehab start for Snell before a big-league return, per MLB Trade Rumors. The plan changed after Tyler Glasnow left his most recent start with a back spasm. Glasnow’s early exit created an immediate opening in the Dodgers rotation. The Dodgers activated Snell from the 15-day IL ahead of the original schedule to fill the void.

Snell built up to four innings in his final rehab outing before Saturday’s activation. Blake Snell spent weeks managing shoulder fatigue before the Dodgers cleared Snell for the season debut. MLB Trade Rumors noted the Dodgers repeatedly said Snell should exceed five innings before rejoining the rotation. The decision to start Snell short of that benchmark reflects Glasnow’s impact on L.A.’s rotation planning.

The Dodgers carry a six-man rotation producing mixed results in 2026. Los Angeles starts Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki alongside Snell. Sasaki holds a 5.97 ERA and Sheehan sits at 5.23 ERA through early May 2026. Wrobleski leads the group with a 1.25 ERA through early May 2026. MLB Trade Rumors flagged Wrobleski’s 10.7 percent strikeout rate as a durability concern heading forward.