Tarik Skubal Sends Message to Dodgers' Blake Snell Regarding Elbow Surgery

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without Blake Snell for at least the next few months as he undergoes elbow surgery.

Snell's surgery, scheduled for Tuesday, is to remove bodies in his elbow via the NanoNeedle procedure. His recovery timeline is unclear, but the new procedure is expected to speed up the process.

Either way, the Dodgers are expecting the left-hander to return at some point this season. Snell opened the season on the injured list due to shoulder fatigue and returned for one start before going back on the IL.

In his lone outing, the lefty got roughed up by the Atlanta Braves, allowing five runs over three innings. Then, right before his next outing, Snell was scratched and underwent testing on his elbow.

The injury to Snell is a brutal one, but all parties are hopeful of a strong recovery this year. Amid the injury, star left-hander Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers has sent a message to Snell.

Skubal also had loose bodies in his elbow, and was the first MLB player to undergo the NanoNeedle procedure. He hopes the procedure goes as well for Snell as it has for him, as Skubal is already throwing bullpens and could reportedly be back within 6-8 weeks of the surgery.

"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," Skubal said. "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.

"I think when you leave the game, you want to leave it in a better spot than how you found it."

The NanoNeedle procedure causes less trauma to the body, while aiming to knock off about a month of recovery time if done correctly.

Skubal wants to see the best players out on the field, like anyone in the league. But he also wants to make sure that there isn't pressure on Snell to come back based on how his own recovery is going.

“But, also, I don’t think there needs to be some unfair pressure on him for not coming back in a certain timeframe if it’s not relatable to mine," Skubal stated.

Skubal has been linked to the Dodgers for the upcoming offseason when he will be the biggest free agent. Los Angeles may have interest in signing the left-hander, and he could join an already stacked starting rotation.

As for Snell, the hope is that he can return sooner rather than later, but the team won't rush anything. Snell is a crucial piece to the puzzle for this team, and if they can get him back, even late into the season, it's better than losing him for the year.

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