Dodgers Lose Blake Snell to Elbow Surgery After One Start, and LA Has a Real Problem
The Los Angeles Dodgers added Blake Snell this offseason to give their rotation a legitimate left-handed ace. He’s made one start.
Snell was scratched before his scheduled second start after reporting discomfort in his elbow. The diagnosis: loose bodies in the left elbow requiring surgery. He’s been placed on the 15-day IL, and while the Dodgers are saying they expect him back this season, the timeline is unclear and the situation is a genuine concern.
This is not the first time Snell has had this issue. He had a similar procedure on his pitching elbow back in 2019 with the Tampa Bay Rays and returned in roughly two months. The Dodgers are hoping for a similar outcome, and they’ve even drawn comparisons to Tarik Skubal’s recent minimally invasive procedure that had him throwing again within ten days of surgery.
But hope is not a plan when you’re trying to compete in the NL West.
The Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani as their centerpiece, and their offense is capable of carrying them through stretches. But the starting rotation is supposed to be the backbone of a championship contender, and losing Snell for potentially two months after one appearance creates a ripple effect through the entire pitching staff.
Los Angeles will patch the rotation with internal options and bullpen arms while Snell recovers. They have the depth to survive a brief absence. The problem is that “brief absence” with a 33-year-old coming off elbow surgery is not guaranteed. Recovery timelines for pitchers rarely go exactly as planned, and if Snell isn’t himself when he comes back, the Dodgers are paying elite money for middle-rotation production.
Manager Dave Roberts handled the news with his usual measured public response. Internally, you have to imagine there’s real frustration. You invest in a two-time Cy Young Award winner specifically because you’re not supposed to be in this situation.
For now, the Dodgers are leaning on their depth. They have enough talent to stay in contention. But the team they envisioned on opening day looks materially different right now, and that matters when October comes around.
Snell needs to get healthy fast. The Dodgers don’t have time to waste.
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.
