The Los Angeles Dodgers are losing Blake Snell to injury shortly after his first appearance on the mound this season.
Snell struggled in his first start of the 2026 campaign in a 7-2 loss against the Atlanta Braves on May 9, giving up four earned runs on six hits and a pair of walks across just three innings of work. Days later, loose bodies were discovered in Snell’s pitching elbow.
The left-hander is reportedly set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his elbow to remove the loose bodies. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Snell will undergo the same procedure that Tarik Skubal did earlier this month, which typically has a 2-3 month recovery timeline.
Skubal, however, has been blazing past the benchmarks to return just weeks after undergoing the surgery earlier this month at the hands of renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Skubal underwent a procedure his agent Scott Boras referred to as the “Skubal Scope,” a less invasive surgery expected to expedite a pitcher’s return to the mound.
Skubal had surgery on May 6 and was able to throw a full bullpen session 12 days later. Dodgers fans can only hope Snell responds just as well as the reigning AL Cy Young winner.
Snell started the 2026 season on the injury list due to shoulder fatigue. He pitched in just 11 regular-season games for the Dodgers last season but was completely healthy for Los Angeles’ deep postseason run. He posted a 3.18 ERA across 6 games (5 starts) to win his first World Series ring.
