Blake Snell returned to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 26, 2026.
Snell reported no left-groin symptoms after the outing, saying, "I didn't feel it at all today." He stated that he had completely moved past the groin issue and that his velocity was good despite inconsistent execution.
Snell evaluated the outing as productive despite "ton of inconsistencies today, but found ways to just be in the zone." He noted that his changeup velocity reached 88 mph and needed to be reduced to 86 mph, while his curveball release also needed improvement.
Snell said he had taken about 10 days off and had pitched only one inning during the previous two weeks before the outing. He explained that he "definitely needed to pitch today" rather than wait through the five-day break.
With the NLDS ahead, Snell said he had one week to prepare by improving his legs, catcher sessions, bullpen sessions and throwing consistency. He added, "catchers have to be great, bullpens have to be great," and said the catcher and bullpen work would help him improve.
Snell also acknowledged that being late to cover first base exposed a responsibility he must handle, saying, "it's something I'll learn from, it won't happen again." During the self-criticism, he used the phrase "Don't be an idiot." His stated next step is the week of targeted preparation before the NLDS.