Dodgers Place Blake Snell on Injured List Following Elbow Diagnosis

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed left-handed pitcher Blake Snell on the 15-day injured list following a diagnosis of loose bodies in his left elbow. The move comes shortly after Snell was scratched from his scheduled start on 15 May, which would have marked his second appearance of the season. Snell has been on the injured list since 12 May and is eligible for activation on 27 May.

Snell made only one start this season, pitching three innings against the Atlanta Braves on 9 May. In that outing, he allowed four runs and struggled with defensive errors and soft-contact hits. The diagnosis mirrors the condition previously suffered by teammate Edwin Diaz, who is undergoing a similar recovery process following surgery. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is another prominent pitcher who has experienced this specific injury.

To replace Snell on the roster, the Dodgers have activated left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes. Barnes was recently acquired from the Chicago Cubs and joins the major league squad as the team manages its pitching rotation amidst the injury.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has indicated that while surgery is a possibility, Snell is expected to return within the current year. Snell has reported battling shoulder discomfort since the end of the 2025 season, attributing some issues to rushing his return to the 2025 regular season. He had made a successful gradual ramp-up during the 2025 postseason, which initially gave the team hope he could avoid the injured list early in the 2026 season.

This is not the first time Snell has dealt with loose bodies in his elbow; he missed more than two months of play in 2019 due to the same condition. The team is expected to be cautious with his rehabilitation, bringing him along slowly through the recovery stages before his potential return later in the month.