Dodgers' Blake Snell Likely to Undergo Elbow Surgery, Will Miss Significant Time

Just hours before Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Blake Snell was supposed to make his second start of the season, he was scratched from Friday night's game.

Snell is dealing with loose bodies in his left elbow, and was placed on the injured list with no timetable to return.

Manager Dave Roberts said before Friday's game that the team doesn't yet know if Snell will undergo surgery to remove the loose bodies from his elbow.

“I think right now anything is on the table,” Roberts said. “Obviously, we had the test to determine there were loose bodies. We’re still talking through what’s next. I think at the end of the day, we feel confident that he’s going to be back with us this year. Either path. But right now, no definitive decision has been made.”

Snell could avoid surgery, going down a route of getting rest and cortisone shots. But to make sure that he is healthy for the postseason, assuming he can come back, the surgery option would seemingly make sense.

According to Maddie Lee of The Los Angeles Times, Snell is expected to undergo surgery.

"Surgery, however, is the likely outcome, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly about the matter," Lee wrote. "It’s unclear how invasive a potential surgical procedure would be — a significant factor in determining how much time Snell could miss. One person briefed on the matter projected Snell to return in late July or early August."

This is certainly a major blow to the Dodgers, as Snell was expected to be a catalyst for the starting rotation this year.

In his only start this season, Snell didn't look right against the Atlanta Braves. The veteran got roughed up, allowing five runs (four earned) and six hits over three innings.

Snell was originally expected to make another rehab start last week, but the team decided to bring him back to the majors instead. Now, Los Angeles won't rush Snell back, as the team will give him the time needed to fully recover before putting him back on the mound.

“He’s got to make the decision that’s best for him, and whatever way we go, I know we’ll support him,” Roberts said of potential surgery.

Surgery or not, the elbow injury is expected to sideline Snell for months, and the Dodgers will have to figure out a plan of attack within the starting rotation.

The Dodgers opened the season without Snell, who missed the first month-plus of the year recovering from shoulder fatigue.

How Will Dodgers Replace Blake Snell in Rotation?

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani will continue to headline the starting rotation, followed by Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski. Tyler Glasnow is currently on the injured list, so the team can't rely on him at this time.

The Dodgers have navigated pitching injuries in recent seasons, so this is nothing new to them.

“It seems like every year we go through it,” Roberts said. “What I have learned is, we get through it. It doesn’t feel great when you’re in it. In spring training, we’re looking at all the plethora [of pitching we were supposed to have]. But in baseball, it happens all the time with pitching. So here we are.”

Roberts said the team doesn't currently have a clear option for a sixth starter. Thus, they could use bullpen games or some spot starts to replace Snell for the time being.

Either way, this hurts the depth of the rotation for the foreseeable future, and Los Angeles will have to navigate it all. But the Dodgers are built to withstand injuries, and the hope is that Snell can eventually return to help the team go after a three-peat later this season.

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