GLENDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 06: A general view of the Los Angeles Dodgers logo before a spring training game between the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on March 06, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the season with a reloaded roster and odds-on expectations to win a third straight World Series title.
But as the season has unfolded, it seems more plausible that another team will be able to unseat the reigning champions as a key weakness emerges.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers did not have to worry about their starting rotation for the first month of the season,” Fabian Ardaya wrote for The Athletic. “That group is suddenly in flux, capping a perilous 10-day stretch that has taken $318.5 million worth of the club’s high-powered starting pitching contracts off the field and onto the injured list.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Face Blake Snell Question After Injury News
The Dodgers have lost frontline starters Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell to the injured list in a nine-day stretch, with Snell’s injury in particular raising some alarm bells for the Dodgers. After the team found loose bodies in his elbow joint, with the typical surgery to remove them requiring a two or three month recovery.
A prolonged absence would be a harsh setback for Snell and the rotation, as he has just 12 starts with fewer than 65 total innings since signing a five-year, $182 million contract. And the team is weighing a radical procedure that could hasten his return to the mound.
After reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal was shutdown with a similar issue earlier this season, he underwent a new procedure conducted by renowned specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache using a “NanoNeedle,” which is less invasive.
“It allowed ElAttrache to penetrate the elbow arthroscopically and remove the loose bodies with less damage to the surrounding tissue and thus a shorter recovery time,” Bill Plunkett wrote for The Orange County Register. “ElAttrache is also going to perform the surgery on Snell next week and the NanoNeedle is an option.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Send Surgery Message As Blake Snell Weighs Surgery
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated that, at least from his perspective, the new surgical option carries a lot of upside.
“It’s supposed to be a lot quicker recovery, so we’re encouraged about that,” he said, per Plunkett. “We expect him certainly back this season.”
By all accounts, Skubal has recovered quickly from his own groundbreaking NanoNeedle procedure and that could be enough to push the Dodgers and Snell to try it out as well. Getting the superstar pitcher back on the mound and ready to help drive a playoff push should be a top priority for the team, particularly as a healthy rotation could be the key to a third straight championship.