Aiming for a quicker return, Blake Snell will undergo the same procedure that Tarik Skubal did.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without Blake Snell’s services in the immediate future, but the left-hander is seeking as quick a return as possible. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told The Athletic‘s Katie Woo that Snell will have the same NanoScope procedure that Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal recently underwent.

This was the inevitable route for both the Dodgers and Snell to take. The left-hander has loose bodies in his pitching elbow, necessitating a procedure to avoid further damage. It wouldn’t be a shock if Scott Boras, who also represents Skubal, encouraged Snell to undergo the same procedure.

Blake Snell to Undergo NanoScope Procedure

Skubal’s NanoScope procedure, which was performed by Los Angeles-based surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, is grabbing headlines for the quicker recovery time. A regular arthroscopic procedure would have meant a two to three-month recovery time. Instead, the left-hander could return to the rotation in just two months.

Assuming a successful surgery and rehab, that’s another five starts the Dodgers could get out of Snell in 2026. The club signed Snell to a $182.5 million contract before the 2025 season, so they expect high-impact results every time he steps on the mound.

With Los Angeles locked into another heated division battle with the San Diego Padres in the National League West, they need every edge they can get. With a two-month recovery time, that places Snell’s return just after the All-Star break.

In the meantime, the Dodgers will have to figure out his rotation spot over that time period. The club recently acquired left-hander Eric Lauer in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, but they have a different role in mind.

Right-hander River Ryan is a candidate to take over, but manager Dave Roberts pushed back a little on that idea when asked about it after Snell was scratched, as the Dodgers don’t want this situation to affect his ramp-up. The right-hander battled a hamstring injury earlier in the season and just returned from Tommy John surgery this season.

Snell’s rotation spot comes up again on May 22. With an off day on the 21st, the team can skip it the next time through the rotation and keep their starters on five days’ rest. They can delay that rotation decision as far as May 27, if they need to.

Jake Eder and Ryan are the only two healthy starters on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster in Triple-A.

What is the NanoScope 2.0 Procedure?

The Athletic‘s Cody Stavenhagen published a piece on Skubal’s experience regarding the procedure. This is how Stavenhagen, who covers the Tigers for The Athletic, describes the NanoScope procedure.

“The tool is called the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0. It differs from a traditional arthroscope — a fiber-optic tube with a light and camera lens — in that it is significantly smaller. A traditional scope has a diameter closer to 4 millimeters, resembling a pencil.”

With a smaller scope, that means a smaller incision needs to be made. That typically means less trauma, less pain, less scar tissue, and a faster recovery time.

Skubal is the first high-profile MLB athlete to successfully undergo the procedure, with Boras dubbing it the “SkubalScope” on the “Baseball Tonight” podcast for May 10. The Tigers’ left-hander has already progressed to throwing bullpens, his most recent coming on May 18.

With a lot of eyes on both Skubal and Snell, the NanoScope 2.0 procedure could be revolutionary in sports medicine. Dr. ElAttrache certainly believes so.