Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell to undergo same nanoscope surgery as Tarik Skubal to speed up loose bodies recovery
The 'NanoNeedle' procedure, also nicknamed the 'Skubal scope,' significantly shortened the Detroit ace's recovery time.
If it worked for Tarik Skubal, it’s worth a try. Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters on Monday that pitcher Blake Snell will undergo the same semi-experimental procedure as the Detroit Tigers ace to clean up loose bodies in his left elbow. Snell was placed on the IL last week with the issue, just a week after Skubal.
Snell became the second Dodgers pitcher to go out with the ailment, after closer Edwin Díaz was placed on the IL in April for loose bodies in his right elbow. Rather than typical arthroscopic surgery, Skubal underwent surgery on the elbow with a new, smaller surgical scope operated by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, an orthopedic surgeon who has worked on a number of high-profile athletes.
Now, per Gomes, Snell will undergo the same procedure, with surgery set to take place on Tuesday. The Dodgers are hoping the new tool will take a month off Snell’s return timeline. Blake Snell will have the same “nano scope” procedure Tarik Skubal had, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said.
They’re hoping for a shorter timetable because of it. — Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) May 19, 2026 ElAttrache told The Athletic last week more about the needle-sized scope, which is known as the NanoNeedle Scope 2. 0 and consists of a fiber-optic tube with a light and a camera lens.