The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Blake Snell on the injured list after loose bodies were found in his left elbow, sidelining the two-time Cy Young Award winner indefinitely.

Snell will undergo a NanoScope procedure to address loose bodies in his pitching elbow, a less invasive surgery performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache that could significantly shorten his recovery timeline. The same procedure was recently used on reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and may allow Snell to return sooner than the typical two- to four-month recovery associated with standard arthroscopic surgery.

Blake Snell Elbow Injury

Snell was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday after discovering the new elbow issue while playing catch on Thursday.

The setback comes just one week after Snell made his season debut. He missed the beginning of the season because of a lingering shoulder injury, making this the latest concern in an injury-plagued stretch for the Dodgers left-hander.

Pro Football Doc Medical Analysis

Loose-body removal is generally less concerning than major elbow ligament reconstruction, but it is still a significant issue for a pitcher. Even if the procedure is considered straightforward, Snell would need time for the elbow to calm down, regain range of motion, rebuild strength and complete a throwing progression.

Given the reported two-to-three-month timeline, Snell is expected to miss significant time, but the injury does not automatically mean his season is over.

Dodgers Injury Impact

Snell made only 11 starts for the Dodgers in 2025 because of the shoulder injury, though he returned in time for the postseason and made six starts during Los Angeles’ World Series run, going 3-2.

The Dodgers are already familiar with this type of elbow issue. Closer Edwin Diaz underwent surgery in April to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow and is expected to return after the All-Star break.

Snell signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers last offseason.

Bottom Line

Snell’s elbow injury is a major setback for the Dodgers, especially coming immediately after his return from a shoulder issue. If surgery is needed to remove loose bodies, a multi-month absence is likely. The best-case scenario is that this is a cleanup procedure rather than a ligament repair or reconstruction, giving Snell a chance to return later in the season.