Blake Snell will have surgery Tuesday to remove the loose bodies in his left elbow, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Saturday.
“It’s supposed to be a lot quicker recovery, so we’re encouraged about that,” Roberts said. “We feel good about getting back to play sooner than later. We expect him, certainly, back this season.”
There’s optimism that Snell could undergo a minimally invasive procedure, such as the one Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed on Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal using new NanoNeedle scope technology, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. But it may not be possible to determine the details of Snell’s procedure before getting an internal look at his elbow. The exact location of the loose bodies plays a big role in the ability to use a less invasive technique.
If Snell is a candidate for the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0, it could cut down his recovery time by minimizing the damage to the surrounding tissue, compared to a traditional arthroscope.
Because the technology is new, even in that case, it would still be difficult to pinpoint a timeline for the recovery. Skubal would be the blueprint. He had a bone chip removed a week and a half ago and is already progressing in a throwing program.
Either way, the Dodgers should have a clearer picture of Snell’s recovery timetable after he undergoes the procedure Tuesday.
“He said he was just excited to have a date on the calendar to get it taken care of, get back to playing catch and getting back to joining us,” said Roberts, who exchanged text messages with Snell.
The Dodgers scratched him from Friday’s start, only his second of the season, and they backdated the move to the injured list to May 12. The two-time Cy Young Award winner started the season on the IL, ramping up later than usual because of what the team called left shoulder fatigue. In his first start against the Braves last week, he pitched three innings, giving up four earned runs.
Snell recovered from a similar injury in 2019, when he missed two months with the Rays after arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from the same elbow.
The starter joins the list of Dodgers pitchers who have joined the injured list this season. Closer Edwin Díaz had five loose bodies removed from his elbow in late April and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow’s IL stay with back spasms is expected to last longer than the 15-day minimum.
Now the team is weighing its options to fill the vacant spots while ideally staying on a six- to seven-day pitcher rotation. The bullpen took care of all nine innings in Friday night’s game, though regular bullpen games would run the risk of taxing the relief group.
Right-hander River Ryan could be a candidate after a successful return from the minor-league IL (hamstring strain), although Roberts said the Dodgers have not yet had conversations about adding him to the big-league squad.
Ryan was able to top at least 100 mph on six four-seam fastballs during a triple-A start Friday. Ryan also underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2024.
Though adjusting in the face of mounting pitching injuries is a familiar challenge, there’s no easy answer here for the Dodgers.