Blake Snell Has Elbow Surgery: How the NanoNeedle Procedure Could Speed Up His Dodgers Return
The Dodgers are missing one of their starters, but they’re trying a procedure that could shorten the absence.
Blake Snell underwent arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the procedure in Los Angeles, using a relatively new device called the NanoNeedle. The same procedure was used on Tigers ace Tarik Skubal earlier in the year, and the results so far have been encouraging.
What the NanoNeedle actually does
The NanoNeedle procedure is essentially a less invasive version of traditional arthroscopic elbow cleanup. The device allows surgeons to remove loose bodies with smaller incisions and less surrounding tissue damage. The result is a faster recovery window than what pitchers historically faced after similar surgeries.
For Snell, that matters. Dr. ElAttrache had to remove three bone spurs during the procedure. Skubal, by comparison, only had one bone chip taken out. The more work that has to be done, the longer the recovery, but the procedure type still gives Snell a shot at returning weeks earlier than the old approach would have allowed.
What the timeline looks like
One source has estimated a return by late July or early August. That projection is still fluid. The Dodgers are not in any hurry to set a firm date, and Dr. ElAttrache’s evaluation of how the elbow responds in the next two weeks will dictate everything from there.
The team has compared Snell’s timeline to that of closer Edwin Diaz, who returned roughly three months after a similar procedure. That’s the framework the Dodgers are working with.
How the Dodgers are covering the rotation
Los Angeles is leaning on the depth they always seem to have. They traded for Toronto Blue Jays reliever Eric Lauer earlier this week in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. That move came on the heels of Jack Dreyer landing on the 15-day injured list with shoulder discomfort.
Lauer adds a depth arm who can start in a pinch. The Dodgers have done this dance for years now. Star pitchers go down. Smart front office acquisitions plug the gaps. The team keeps winning.
Why Snell matters to October
Blake Snell was supposed to be one of the front-of-the-rotation arms the Dodgers built their season around. He has two Cy Young awards on his shelf and remains one of the most dominant left-handers in baseball when he’s healthy. The Dodgers signed him on a five-year, $182 million deal in 2025 specifically because they wanted his October ceiling.
If he’s back by late July or early August, he gets a real chance to ramp up for the postseason. That’s the version of Snell that wins playoff series. The Dodgers need that guy in October.
The pitcher injury reality
This is the new normal for top-end starting pitchers. Sandy Koufax could throw 335 innings a year, but those days are over. Modern arms throw harder than ever, with more spin, more break, and more torque on every elbow. The result is more procedures like this one, and more conversations about which surgeries actually work.
The NanoNeedle is part of that conversation now. If Snell comes back in late July looking like the Snell who won a Cy Young, expect more pitchers around the league to start asking about it.
The Dodgers’ depth wins again
You can’t put together a playoff rotation without seven or eight viable arms. Los Angeles has that. They will be fine through May and June with Yoshinobu Yamamoto leading a group that still includes plenty of options. The Lauer trade gives them a left-handed swing piece who can start or relieve.
That depth is why the Dodgers are still favorites in the NL. Lose Snell. Adjust. Move on.
The bottom line
Blake Snell had surgery this week. He’s going to miss a chunk of the season. The procedure he had gives him a faster path back than most pitchers in similar situations, and the Dodgers should have him available for the games that actually matter.
Three months of patience. The Dodgers are good at that.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
