ANAHEIM, Calif. — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell is scheduled for surgery Tuesday to have loose bodies removed from his left elbow, though the team anticipates the two-time Cy Young Award winner will be back on the mound this season.
The left-handed pitcher made his first appearance of the season last weekend, allowing four earned runs over three innings after being sidelined at the season’s start due to left shoulder fatigue and inflammation. He was pulled from his planned Friday start against the Los Angeles Angels.
The procedure is set for Tuesday.
“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,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday before the second game of the three-game Freeway Series at Angel Stadium.
The 33-year-old missed the majority of the 2025 regular season due to a shoulder problem, limiting him to 11 starts, though he managed six playoff appearances. He posted a 3-2 record in the postseason, contributing to the Dodgers’ second straight World Series championship.
The elbow issue was identified Thursday, and Roberts suggested the pitcher might have a procedure similar to what Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal recently underwent to speed up his recovery. Skubal had a more aggressive minimally invasive operation on May 6, allowing him to begin playing catch and soft tossing just over a week afterward.
While Roberts said it’s premature to establish a timeline for the pitcher’s return to baseball activities, “I think just with the MRI, the scans and everything, we feel good about getting back to play sooner than later,” he said.
The team is already dealing with the absence of closer Edwin Diaz, who underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow in April, and starter Tyler Glasnow remains on the injured list with back spasms.
