The San Francisco Giants have dealt with major injury issues all season long.
Obviously, the biggest area that they have dealt with injuries is with their starting pitchers. Names like Alex Cobb, Robbie Ray, Kyle Harrison, and even Blake Snell have missed major time.
At this point in the season, the Giants are 42-45 and are still within striking distance when it comes to the NL Wild Card race. Thankfully, they're close to getting reinforcements.
Snell is closing in on a return to the field and both Cobb and Ray are also getting there. Harrison is another name that could return to the field soon.
One name that is trending towards a return the most is Snell, who was signed late in free agency to be a legitimate ace. He has been unable to live up to that hype.
As shared by Minor League Baseball on X, Snell was dominant in his latest rehab start. He struck out nine batters and hurled five hitless innings.
Blake Snell looks downright filthy in his latest rehab start 😤
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 4, 2024
The @SFGiants lefty strikes out nine -- including his first four batters -- in five hitless innings for the @RiverCats: pic.twitter.com/Y1ed0NgsCf
Getting Snell back on the field will be key for San Francisco. However, he has struggled this season and will need to turn his year around following his return to the field.
In the six games he has started during the 2024 season, Snell has gone 0-3 to go along with a 9.51 ERA, a 1.94 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.
Clearly, those numbers aren't getting the job done. The 31-year-old starter has never played as poorly as he has so far this season. Unfortunately, his latest injury issues are not the only injury issues he has faced this year.
Taking the time to get back to 100 percent should be a major priority for Snell. He can't afford to rush back and continue pitching the way he has thus far.
If Snell could revert back to how he played in 2023, when he went 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with the San Diego Padres, the Giants could be a team that gets hot in the second half of the year.
Expect to continue hearing health updates about San Francisco in the coming days. They are about to get some major help and a fully healthy Snell would be bigger than any trade deadline move they could make.