The Los Angeles Dodgers just keep losing pitchers. Blake Snell is the latest casualty.
The two-time Cy Young winner underwent surgery this week to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, just one start into the 2026 season. There is no firm timetable for his return, but the Dodgers believe he can be back at some point this year. That is the optimistic read. The pessimistic read is that the Dodgers’ rotation is a disaster zone right now.
This Is Not Snell’s First Time at the Rodeo
Snell had the same procedure back in July 2019 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He was back on a big league mound about two months later. The Dodgers are leaning on that timeline as evidence that this is a manageable problem. Tigers ace Tarik Skubal had the same surgery this spring and is already playing catch.
The fact that loose bodies can be cleaned out and pitchers can return relatively quickly is the good news. The bad news is that Snell got exactly one start into a five-year, $182 million contract before he hit the operating table.
The Dodgers’ Rotation Is in Trouble
Los Angeles spent a record amount of money on starting pitching this offseason. They have very little to show for it right now. Reliever Jack Dreyer just hit the injured list. The team had to trade for Blue Jays reliever Eric Lauer to plug holes. The pitching staff that was supposed to win another World Series is being held together with duct tape.
Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is pitching like an ace. That has kept the Dodgers afloat in the National League West. But October is still a long way away, and the bullpen cannot carry the load for 162 games.
What Snell Needs to Do
The pitcher who showed up in the second half of 2024 with the Giants was the best version of Snell anyone has ever seen. He had a stretch where he was simply unhittable. The Dodgers paid him to be that guy in October. Right now, the goal is just to get him back on a mound.
Snell will rehab through the summer. If everything goes well, he could be back in August. If things go badly, the Dodgers could be looking at a rotation in pieces by the trade deadline.
For a team with World Series expectations, this is not the news anyone wanted.
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.
