Blake Snell's much-anticipated season debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers didn't quite live up to the Hollywood script on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. The two-time Cy Young winner, making his first start since Game 7 of last year's World Series, struggled mightily as the Atlanta Braves handed the Dodgers a 7-2 loss in front of 50,209 fans.

The buzz was electric—sold-out crowd, bobblehead night, and all the excitement of a big-name pitcher returning to the mound. But once the game began, it was clear Snell wasn't quite ready for prime time. The Braves pounced early, building a commanding 5-0 lead by the end of the second inning. Snell needed 58 pitches to get through just those two frames, surrendering six hits, five runs, and two walks while battling his command all night.

"It was frustrating," Snell said after the game. "The goal is to give up no runs, so giving up five is pretty frustrating."

The trouble started in the second inning. After an infield single from Eli White and a base hit by Jorge Mateo, Snell walked Drake Baldwin to load the bases with two outs. Ozzie Albies then ripped a two-run single to center, and Matt Olson followed with another two-run hit that effectively put the game out of reach. It was the kind of inning that exposed the risks the Dodgers took by accelerating his return.

Just two days earlier, Snell had been scheduled to face Single-A hitters as part of his rehab progression. But with Tyler Glasnow landing on the injured list Friday, manager Dave Roberts and the Dodgers made the call to activate Snell rather than continue his buildup assignment. The plan was to get five innings from the left-hander; they only got three.

For a pitcher with Snell's pedigree—and the expectations that come with a Dodgers uniform—this debut serves as a reminder that even the best need time to shake off the rust. The road ahead will be about finding his rhythm, and the Dodgers will be hoping this is just a minor setback in an otherwise promising season.