Blake Snell's return to the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation may have been cut short.
The lefty was scratched from the Dodgers' Friday night showdown against the Los Angeles Angels and will go back on the 15-day injured list with loose bodies in his left elbow, the team announced in a statement.
As a consequence, the Dodgers are likely to go with a bullpen game for the series opener against their crosstown rivals.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters the Dodgers believe Snell will be back "this year."
Snell suffered a similar injury in 2019 for which he underwent surgery and was sidelined from late July to mid-September.
Snell missed the start of the campaign while dealing with shoulder fatigue and only made his season debut last Saturday. He struggled in that outing against the Atlanta Braves, lasting only three innings and giving up five runs, four earned.
The 33-year-old's shoulder has been a persistent issue, as he missed most of the 2025 regular season with a lingering shoulder injury, making just 11 starts, but the left-hander went 3-2 in six post-season games to help the Dodgers win their second consecutive World Series title.
He signed a $182-million, five-year contract with the Dodgers in November 2024 but has only made 12 regular-season starts with the ballclub.
Left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes was recalled from triple-A in a corresponding move. He was claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on May 9.
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