Blake Snell made his only start of the season for the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 9 before undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow.
The 33-year-old’s operation was performed using NanoNeedle technology, which can help pitchers return to the mound in half the time. Tarik Skubal underwent the same procedure two weeks prior and returned to pitching for the Detroit Tigers on June 13.
Snell has faced a longer recovery due to his surgery being a bit more complicated than Skubal’s, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“His was 30 minutes. They chipped the bone down, took the bone out. I had bones on each side of my elbow and through my canal (in the back of the joint). So it was a 2½-hour surgery compared to 30 minutes. It’s two different surgeries. A lot more was done.”
While it has taken longer for Snell to return, he is nevertheless making good progress in his recovery. The left-hander threw live batting practice on Saturday for the first time since his operation.
“Snell was good today. Looked really good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He did an up-down, two innings, and I think he’s supposed to go out next week. So next Saturday, next weekend, he’s going to start his rehab progression.”
Snell’s rehab assignment will be on the lengthy side, as he will need to build up his innings and pitch count.
“Well, I think he says he feels better right now than he did when he returned before,” Roberts began. “I think ideally the floor is five (innings) and 75 (pitches), so probably start out at two innings, then three. So you’re looking at you know four or five outings probably.”
Blake Snell’s elbow surgery unexpectedly helped shoulder pain
Snell’s left elbow surgery not only alleviated pain from the affected area, but it also unexpectedly helped his chronic shoulder pain.
Snell first experienced left shoulder inflammation last season, and he wound up spending four months on the injured list. The issue limited him to just 11 starts due to multiple setbacks in the early stages of his rehab.
The injury carried over into the 2026 season as Snell began the year on the 15-day IL due to left shoulder fatigue.
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