Snell's Tuesday return to give LA yet another two-time Cy winner

PHOENIX -- After adding one two-time Cy Young Award-winning left-hander to the mix this week, the Dodgers will slot another into their rotation when they return to Los Angeles.

Blake Snell will be activated from the 60-day injured list to start for the Dodgers on Tuesday, one day after Tarik Skubal will make his first home start as a Dodger to open the seven-game homestand against the Royals and Brewers, manager Dave Roberts said before Friday's series opener vs. the D-backs at Chase Field.

Starting pitching has already been a strength for the Dodgers for much of the season, as they entered Friday with a 3.56 rotation ERA that ranked fifth in the Majors. They've gotten by while weathering lengthy absences from Snell and Tyler Glasnow, who should rejoin the rotation himself in the next few weeks. With Skubal in hand after a blockbuster deal ahead of the Trade Deadline, L.A.'s rotation is about to be a gauntlet once more.

"Now we’ve got Blake back. We’ve got Tarik here. We feel like we have the pieces of our starting pitching to go on a run," Roberts said. "But you've also got to play good defense behind them; we’ve got to score runs. But it does feel like every night, we should have a good chance to win a ballgame."

After beginning this season on the IL with left shoulder fatigue, Snell made only one start for the Dodgers on May 9 before being sidelined again, this time due to loose bodies in his left elbow that required surgical removal. The procedure that Snell had on his elbow was similar to the innovative surgery that Skubal had earlier this year, using the NanoNeedle Scope method.

Snell completed his rehab assignment by stretching out to 3 2/3 innings on 73 pitches (41 strikes) with Triple-A Oklahoma City in his fourth rehab start. He wasn't sharp, and his high pitch count prevented him from getting into the fifth inning as had been hoped, but he still checked his final box before returning to the Dodgers.

When Snell returns to the Dodgers, the team will be in the middle of a stretch of 13 games in as many days. As a result, his activation is unlikely to bump Eric Lauer from the rotation until at least the next turn. Lauer is eventually expected to shift to the bullpen as a bulk option.