Blake Snell to Return Early from Injury via New Medical Procedure
A medical breakthrough is bringing Blake Snell back to the mound up to a month early. Snell might be the second-bever
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell is indeed getting a brand-new surgical procedure that could save him up to a month in recovery time, becoming possibly the second MLB player to ever do it. General manager Brandon Gomes said Snell is indeed getting the NanoNeedle procedure on Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports . May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting Blake Snell (7) warms up prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images That procedure, the same one undergone by Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, is expected to a shed a month off of Snell’s recovery time. Plenty of updates from Brandon Gomes: – Blake Snell will have the “NanoNeedle” procedure tomorrow (same as Skubal). Should shed a month off timeline.
– Tyler Glasnow has been shut down from throwing for now. – Brusdar Graterol is discussing next steps, with back surgery an option — Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 19, 2026 When will Snell return from his injury? It’s hard to say for sure, but taking that one-month estimate from Ardaya and putting it toward the two-to-three-month timeline for the previous procedure, that’s a month or two for Snell, so in May or June.
But Skubal was throwing bullpen sessions within two weeks of the procedure. As The Athletic details, Skubal had a classic quip for reporters when he greeted them in a Monday press conference. Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal talks to reporters before a game against the Boston Red Sox on May 4, 2026, at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan.