Blake Snell’s time back in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation lasted one start, as he was placed back on the injured list retroactive to May 12.
Snell underwent a successful surgery on Tuesday, but there is not enough information at the moment for the team to give a concrete timeline for his return. There is a silver lining in that the left-hander’s recovery window should be reduced from the initial estimates.
“It went well. As well as to be expected,” manager Dave Roberts began. “I guess the nano thing was a good thing, obviously. So the recovery is cut much shorter. I don’t have a timeline. I just know that it’s shorter than what we initially anticipated. Texted with him today, wished him well. He’s in good spirits and excited to get back to playing.”
Snell was placed on the 15-day IL last week to address loose bodies in his left elbow. The procedure in question involves a smaller incision made by the NanoNeedle scope, which results in less damage caused to tissue and less fluid being required to insufflate the joint.
Typically, surgery to remove loose bodies requires two to three months of recovery. The Dodgers expect the NanoScope procedure to reduce that to some degree. Particularly with the early results from Tarik Skubal having the same procedure done.
Skubal quickly resumed playing catch and already has thrown multiple bullpen sessions since his operation on May 6. Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the surgeries on Skubal and Snell.
One difference for Snell, however, is multiple reports indicate the 33-year-old had three bone spurs removed during the procedure. Skubal had just one bone chip taken out.
Loose bodies is a term used to describe fragmented pieces of bone or cartilage. The procedure involves shaving, mincing, or removing these loose bodies that can be found in the elbow.
On the other hand, bone spurs are growths of bone that form on the edges of bones or inside joints.
In Snell’s case, nothing other than these bone growths were removed, according to reports.
Blake Snell on faster timeline than Edwin Díaz
Snell is actually the second player in the Dodgers organization to deal with this injury. Edwin Díaz also had loose bodies in his throwing elbow, but he underwent a traditional procedure last month.
As a result, the Dodgers don’t anticipate Díaz returning until some point in the second half of the 2026 season.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
