Blake Snell Heading to Elbow Surgery Tuesday, Dodgers Expect Return Later This Season

Blake Snell will undergo surgery on Tuesday to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, the Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed Saturday. Manager Dave Roberts said the team expects the two-time Cy Young Award winner to return at some point during the 2026 season, though no specific timetable has been established. The procedure is scheduled for the same day as the Dodgers’ upcoming scheduled off day, and the team is hopeful of a relatively short recovery window.

The injury news comes just one week after Snell made his 2026 season debut, giving up four earned runs in three innings following an extended absence due to left shoulder fatigue and inflammation. He was scratched from his next scheduled start on Friday when the latest issue was discovered during evaluations, and the Dodgers quickly confirmed the need for surgery.

What the Surgery Involves

Roberts indicated the procedure would be to remove loose bodies from Snell’s left elbow, a type of surgery that can often carry a quicker recovery timeline than more invasive joint procedures. The Dodgers are exploring whether Snell can undergo the same NanoNeedle procedure that Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal had in a similar situation, which allowed Skubal to return to pitching relatively quickly. Roberts was cautious but optimistic: “It’s going to be to take out those loose bodies, and it’s supposed to be a lot quicker recovery, so we’re encouraged about that.”

Snell’s injury was discovered Thursday, and the speed with which Los Angeles moved to schedule surgery suggests the team wanted to address the issue promptly rather than wait and risk further damage. The 33-year-old left-hander signed a significant contract with the Dodgers in the offseason of 2023, and the team has managed multiple injury setbacks since he joined the organization.

Impact on the Dodgers Rotation

Los Angeles entered the season with one of the most talented rotations in baseball, built around Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki, and the expectation of a healthy Snell. With Snell now sidelined again, the Dodgers will need to rely on that group to carry the rotation load through the summer months. Roberts noted that the team feels good about its depth and the circumstances around Snell’s particular procedure.

For bettors tracking MLB odds, Snell’s absence affects Los Angeles’s overall starting pitching depth. Dodgers game lines and run totals for starts where Snell was projected to go typically factored in his presence, and the team will need to promote from the minors or adjust its five-man rotation to fill his spot in the short term. Los Angeles’s rotation should still rank among the best in the National League even without Snell, but his timeline for return will be closely watched throughout the coming weeks.

Snell is expected to provide an update on his specific procedure after surgery Tuesday, at which point the Dodgers may have a clearer sense of when he could return to throwing activities and eventually big league action.