The Los Angeles Dodgers scratched Blake Snell from his scheduled start on Friday and then placed him on the 15-day injured list due to loose bodies in his left elbow. The IL stint was backdated to May 12.
“Found out about it [Thursday] during catch play,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Playing catch, threw a bullpen a few days ago, I think, and then during his catch play, just felt something in the back of his elbow. Just couldn’t continue.”
Snell had made only one start for the Dodgers since returning from the IL. He began the year recovering from left shoulder fatigue that lingered from the 2025 season.
Snell said he came out of that start feeling the best he has in a while and felt confident he would recover well. The left-hander picked up a new training routine in the offseason and focused on preparing his body better.
Blake Snell likely having surgery
The Dodgers have not yet announced if Snell will need elbow surgery or try to go the rehab-only path. However, according to Maddie Lee of the L.A. Times, Snell is expected to have surgery on his left elbow.
Surgery, however, is the likely outcome, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. It’s unclear how invasive a potential surgical procedure would be — a significant factor in determining how much time Snell could miss.
“I think right now, anything is on the table,” Roberts said before Friday’s game. “Obviously, we had the test to determine there were loose bodies, so we’re kind of talking through potential what’s next. I think at the end of the day, we feel confident he’s going to be back with us this year, either path. But I think right now, no definitive decision has been made.”
If Snell were to go the rehab route, it would include rest and a cortisone shot to see if they can get the inflammation down. How Snell responds to that course of treatment would determine the next steps and his potential return timeline.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner previously surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in 2019, and that experience may impact the decision.
“That’s some information that’s helpful for him,” Roberts said. “But at the end of the day, he’s got to figure out what’s best for him and make that decision. Whatever we go, I know we’ll support it.”
The timeline for a return from elbow surgery is around three months. The rehab is theoretically a shorter timeframe, but it also runs the risk of needing surgery down the line if it doesn’t heal as hoped.
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