Dodgers’ Blake Snell prepares for elbow surgery, expected later this season

Blake Snell will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow, and the Los Angeles Dodgers expect the two-time Cy Young Award winner to return this season. Snell made his season debut last weekend, allowing four earned runs in three innings after missing the start of the season with fatigue and inflammation in his left shoulder, and the left-hander was scratched from his scheduled start Friday against the Los Angeles Angels. The operation is scheduled for Tuesday. “It’s going to be about eliminating those loose bodies, and the recovery is supposed to be a lot quicker, so we’re encouraged about that,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday before Game 2 of the three-game Freeway Series at Angel Stadium. Snell missed most of the 2025 regular season with a shoulder injury, which limited him to 11 starts, but he was able to make six playoff appearances. Snell was 3-2 in the postseason to help the Dodgers win a second consecutive World Series title. Snell’s latest injury was discovered Thursday and Roberts indicated the 33-year-old could undergo a procedure similar to what Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal recently underwent in an effort to speed his recovery. Skubal underwent a more aggressive type of minimally invasive surgery on May 6, which allowed him to return to playing catch and soft throw a little over a week later. Roberts said it was too early to have a timetable for Snell’s return to baseball activities, but “I think with the MRI and the scans and everything else, we feel good about getting back to playing as soon as possible,” he said. The Dodgers are already without Edwin Diaz, who underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow in April, and starter Tyler Glasnow is on the injured list with back spasms. Associated Press reporting.