The Dodgers have suffered another significant pitching blow.
The team announced Friday that Blake Snell has been placed on the injured list with loose bodies in his left elbow, an issue that could require surgery and figures to keep him out for the foreseeable future.
Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers weren’t yet sure whether Snell would need surgery to address the issue. The pitcher was still deliberating whether to undergo a procedure next week, according to sources, that would likely sideline him until July or August.
Either way, Roberts said, the team was confident that Snell would return this season.
In 2019, Snell missed almost two months while playing with the Rays after suffering a similar issue and undergoing arthroscopic surgery.
“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.”
The severity of loose body injuries can vary.
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz was diagnosed with the same problem last month and underwent a procedure that will keep him out until the second half of the year.
Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal was also diagnosed with them earlier this month, though his specific injury was minor enough that he has already been able to resume catch play and could return within six weeks, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman .
For Snell, “a nonsurgical route would be some type of rest, cortisone shot to get the inflammation down and wait a little bit to see how it responds,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers won’t have a firm timeline for the 33-year-old until a decision on his course of treatment is made.
“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.
Snell was originally supposed to start Friday’s series opener against the Angels but was scratched from the outing after he “felt something” in the back of his elbow during catch play on Thursday, according to Roberts.
Snell had only made his season debut last week, when he threw three innings in a loss to the Braves.
A two-time Cy Young Award winner who signed with the Dodgers on a $182 million contract last offseason, Snell missed much of the 2025 campaign with a shoulder injury — but returned late in the year to serve a key role in the club’s run to a World Series title.
During the playoffs, he made six appearances with a 3.18 ERA, helping anchor the rotation during the Dodgers’ championship defense.
After the World Series, Snell said his shoulder started bothering him again , leading him to go through physical therapy over the winter.
Though he entered spring training hoping to be ready for the start of the season, the Dodgers decided to slow-play his build-up — trying to avoid the elongated absence he suffered last year after pitching through early-season shoulder discomfort.
Last week, Snell was activated sooner than initially expected , skipping what was supposed to be a final minor-league rehab start to join the Dodgers’ rotation in the wake of Tyler Glasnow ’s back injury.
Now, the Dodgers will have to reevaluate their rotation again, with Glasnow still at least a couple weeks away from returning from the IL.
After opting for a bullpen game Friday (the team called up left-hander Charlie Barnes for added depth), the Dodgers should be able to get to next Thursday’s off-day OK, with Justin Wrobleski , Roki Sasaki , Yoshinobu Yamamoto , Shohei Ohtani and Emmet Sheehan lined up for the next five games.
After that, they could consider calling up former top prospect River Ryan — who returned on Friday from his own hamstring injury in Triple-A and was scheduled to make a four-inning start — though Roberts said it was a “slim possibility” he would be promoted until he builds up further in the minors.
All of it leaves the Dodgers in a familiar position a couple months into the season; trying to navigate another wave of pitching injuries without losing any more of their currently healthy arms.
“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.”
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