The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a roster shakeup ahead of Blake Snell's highly anticipated start, placing reliever Brock Stewart on the injured list with a bone spur in his left foot. Stewart, acquired at the 2025 trade deadline, initially sustained the injury during his recovery from shoulder surgery, aggravating the foot to the point where the pain became impossible to ignore.

While unfortunate for Stewart, this move clears a clean path for Snell to slot directly into the active roster for his Saturday start. The timing couldn't be better for the Dodgers' pitching staff, which has been navigating a series of setbacks.

Before Stewart's injury, right-hander Paul Gervase—who was just activated on Friday after Tyler Glasnow landed on the IL with back spasms—was the pitcher expected to be optioned to make room for Snell. Now, Gervase gets a more permanent stay in the bullpen, at least until one of Stewart or Glasnow returns to full health.

This marks Stewart's second injury stint with the Dodgers. The right-hander had spent nearly a full month pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma City, slowly building himself back up before his brief activation. His time on the big league roster lasted only a matter of days.

On the brighter side, the Dodgers are thrilled with Snell's progress. According to manager Dave Roberts, the two-time Cy Young winner is feeling better than he has in years—a promising sign for a rotation that could use his durability.

"Well, physically, he said he was in a great spot, which is most important," Roberts said ahead of Snell's start. "He felt his changeup was something he wanted to tighten up a little more, but the command was good, and the ball was coming out with real good life. All the markers we checked looked solid."

Roberts added that Snell's resurgence is no surprise given his recent history. "He was never completely right last year, and that showed in his stuff and velocity. But right now, it's coming up easy. He says he hasn't felt this good in quite some time."

For Dodgers fans, this is a silver lining in a season already marked by pitching depth challenges. With Snell healthy and ready to go deep into games, the rotation gets a much-needed boost—even if it comes at the expense of a promising bullpen arm.