Snell played catch without any elbow issues Wednesday and is expected to pitch a simulated game Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The 27-year-old southpaw was originally expected to start Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, but it's encouraging that the change of plans is unrelated to his elbow. Snell is coming off a disappointing outing Monday against the Blue Jays which included four walks, four earned runs and just a single out. Tampa Bay is choosing to take a conservative approach to bringing its No. 2 starter back from a Feb. 29 cortisone shot, which should be encouraging to 2020 fantasy owners in the long run this season.