Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Blake Snell is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. The operation will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
“It’s going to be to take out those loose bodies, and it’s supposed to be a quicker recovery. So we’re encouraged about that,” Roberts said. “Expect him back this season, don’t really know a timetable. But I think with the MRI, the scans and everything, we feel good about getting back to play sooner rather than later.”
Snell’s surgery is scheduled to come four days after he was surprisingly put back on the 15-day injured list after making just one start. He began the season on the IL while recovering from left shoulder fatigue.
Is Blake Snell’s surgery going to be NanoNeedle/”Skubal Scope” procedure?
Roberts said other than the operation being scheduled, he wasn’t sure of further details.
According to Jack Harris of the California Post, it has not yet been determined if Snell’s arthroscopic procedure is going to entail the NanoNeedle that has suddenly risen to prominence in part because of Dr. ElAttrache using the device on Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
The exact nature of the procedure Snell will have is still being determined, per sources, but there is hope it will be similar to the operation Tarik Skubal had recently (which used the NanoNeedle)
For reference, Skubal could be back from loose bodies in as soon as six weeks https://t.co/iJitZP1RLb
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) May 17, 2026
The NanoNeedle Scope 2.0, dubbed the “Skubal Scope” by mega agent Scott Boras, features a much smaller diameter. That makes for a smaller incision, causes less damage to the tissue and requires significantly less fluid to insufflate the joint.
Typically, surgery to remove loose bodies is accompanied by a recovery of two to three months. As such, the Dodgers have only projected Edwin Díaz to return from his surgery at some point during the second half. It’s not known if Díaz also was the beneficiary of the smaller scope.
With the new NanoNeedle, it’s possible to have a shortened recovery period. Skubal was back to playing light catch less than one week after his procedure.
However matters unfold for Snell, his focus is on getting healthy in time for October.
“He said he’s excited to have a date on the calendar, get it taken care of, get back to playing catch and get back to joining us,” Roberts said.
Snell’s prior elbow surgery
This is now a second instance in which Snell has dealt with loose bodies in his throwing elbow. He previously underwent surgery to have some removed during the 2019 season. That resulted in Snell being out from late July until the middle of September.
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