Is Blake Snell set to bounce back after disappointing season start? Reigning NL Cy Young winner marks return with triumphant outing

The San Francisco Giants' rotation received a massive shot in the arm with reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell's return on Tuesday. The All-Star pitcher was dominant from the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays, arguably his best start in the Giants uniform.

The former San Diego Padres pitcher went five innings on Tuesday, the first time for the Giants this season. He allowed just one hit over 73 pitches to shut out the Jays at Oracle Park.

"Just to find a rhythm, trust my stuff, trust my body, yeah I felt a lot better," Snell said. "There was just more confidence knowing that I'm able to repeat [my mechanics]. It was a good feeling."

"I still think I can be better. I still think there's a lot to chase," he added.

Blake Snell had managed just six starts this season leading up to the game on Tuesday due to injuries. His last outing was against the New York Yankees on June 2.

However, his recent outing showed shades of Snell from last season when he stitched a Cy Young-winning campaign for the second time in his MLB career. While Snell's ERA (7.85) improved after his first start in almost a month, it is still nowhere close to his league-best 2.25 ERA last season.

Snell led the majors in ERA and his WAR (6.0) was only bettered by AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole's 7.5 in 2023. While he is still some distance away from reaching the highs of last season, Snell showed much better control on his fastball on Tuesday with a season-high speed of 97.7 mph.

The 31-year-old is no stranger to injuries and his last few outings have shown that the veteran ace is capable of mounting a strong charge in the second half of the season for the Giants.

Giants manager Bob Melvin feels Blake Snell is nearing his full potential

Blake Snell was reinstated from the 15-day injured list as the Giants optioned Kolton Ingram to Sacramento to make room for their ace on the 26-man roster. Giants manager Bob Melvin has been one of the most vocal supporters of Snell. Melvin, who managed Snell during his Padres days, felt the All-Star pitcher was nearing his Cy Young-calibre.

"He had all his pitches working," Melvin said. "A lot of times the slider is the last thing to show up for him, but he was throwing changeups and curveballs and spotting his fastball. You know, this is the first time he really felt good when he went out there. He had the proper amount of rehab games and just felt really comfortable with where he was after his last outing."

Blake Snell was recalled ahead of Tuesday's game after a dominant display for Triple-A Sacramento in his rehab start on Wednesday. Snell will soon be joined by the returning Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb, who will take the pressure off the two-time Cy Young winner from the mound.