Blake Snell is the latest pitcher headed for elbow surgery, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Snell is having loose bodies removed from his left elbow and is out indefinitely.
The procedure has become an unwelcome trend across the sport. New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon had a delayed start to the 2026 season after having the surgery to remove loose bodies and a bone spur shaved down.
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner like Snell, underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies after a flare-up earlier this month.
The typical recovery time for this surgery is two to three months. But Skubal’s surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, used a device called the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0, which could significantly shorten that timeline. Nine days after the procedure, Skubal had already started playing catch.
Snell, 33, shares the same agent as Skubal, Scott Boras, so there has been speculation he could use the same procedure. Roberts said he was not sure what surgery Snell would have.
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This would be the second time Snell has had loose bodies removed from his elbow. He also had surgery in July 2019 when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays. He returned two months later.
Snell has a long history with injuries.
Snell had just made his season debut a week before after missing the first six weeks with shoulder fatigue and inflammation. In his lone start of 2026, Snell gave up five runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out five over three innings.
A 2018 and 2023 Cy Young Award winner, Snell signed a five-year $182 million deal with the Dodgers in November 2024. He missed two months last season with shoulder inflammation before returning to go 4-4 with a 2.41 ERA in nine regular season starts. He pitched 34 postseason innings, posting a 3.18 ERA as the Dodgers won the 2025 World Series. He cited that workload as a reason for the shoulder issues this spring.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blake Snell to have elbow surgery, out indefinitely
