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The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without starter Blake Snell for a little while after he’s officially undergone NanoNeedle surgery on his elbow to remove three loose bodies in his arm.
Dodgers reporter Fabian Ardaya wrote (on May 19):
“Blake Snell’s NanoNeedle procedure today removed three bone spurs from his left elbow. This type of procedure is expected to shave off some of the recovery timeline.”
It’s the exact procedure that Detroit Tigers‘ star Tarik Skubal had, which is expected to sideline Skubal for 2-3 months. If all goes well, that same recovery timeline can be noted about Blake Snell
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 09: Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on May 09, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Tarik Skubal Sends Blake Snell Message Pre-Surgery
Before Blake Snell had the surgery, on Monday, Tarik Skubal sent this Blake Snell message, via MLB.com’s Sonja Chen:
“I know Blake a little bit. I haven’t reached out. I don’t really know what his plan is. I don’t know what his MRI looks like. I don’t know how many loose bodies are in there.”
“But if somehow this helps him get back to the big leagues faster and they’re more confident in doing this, awesome. If it helps other guys, I’m all for it.”
The NanoNeedle surgery is supposed to help reduce pain from the surgery, and knock off the recovery timeline by up to a month.
Los Angeles will miss the services of Blake Snell, but the Dodgers had already been without one of their aces for the first month and some change of the season when the 2X Cy Young winner Snell was recovering from a shoulder ailment.
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GettyManager A.J. Hinch #14 of the Detroit Tigers relieves Tarik Skubal #29 from the game against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Target Field on April 07, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Tigers 4-2. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Dodgers Hope Blake Snell Can Return Sooner Rather Than Later
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 30: Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after TJ Friedl #29 of the Cincinnati Reds is called out during the sixth inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Dodger Stadium on September 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The hope (obviously) for the Dodgers is that Blake Snell can return sooner rather than later. Los Angeles inked Snell to a five-year, $137 million contract before the 2025 season, and he’s only made a handful of starts in the regular season since inking the lucrative extension.
However, if Snell can just get right before October, that’s when the Dodgers will love the luxury of his dominant pitching form. The proof is in the pudding from last October. Snell missed several months of the regular season and then turned it completely on during a dominant stretch to the World Series.
Los Angeles will have to rely on a few more arms, and they aren’t as affected as the Tigers are without Tarik Skubal, but hopefully Snell can return before mid-August.
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TJ French covers the MLB for Heavy. TJ is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He has 2+ years of writing experience. Follow TJ French on X: @tj_french5 More about TJ French