The Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting rotation has been the team's rock through the first quarter of the season, but a recent wave of injuries is now testing their depth in a big way. Left-hander Blake Snell was placed on the injured list Friday due to loose bodies in his left elbow, and the early prognosis suggests he will be sidelined for a significant stretch.

“We feel confident he’ll be back with us this year,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters before Friday’s game in Anaheim, where Snell was scratched from his scheduled start. While the news is not what any team wants to hear, it's a reality the Dodgers now face.

Loose bodies in the elbow are no small issue. Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz underwent arthroscopic surgery on April 22 to remove loose bodies and is expected to miss three months. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal had the same procedure on May 6, and his return timetable is measured in months, not weeks. For Snell, surgery appears likely, according to Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times. A final decision is expected within the next week, per Jack Harris of the California Post, who noted that such a procedure would keep Snell out until July or August.

The rotation depth is further strained by Tyler Glasnow, who is also on the injured list with back spasms. While Glasnow is technically eligible to return next Friday, Roberts said earlier this week that he won't be ready by then and is only now throwing off flat ground.

So where does that leave the Dodgers? For now, the rotation consists of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki. Yamamoto and Sasaki are accustomed to at least five days of rest between starts, while Ohtani typically gets six or more—he has made just one start this year on five days’ rest. That schedule isn’t changing anytime soon, per Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic.

“I think we’re prepared to do whatever we can,” Roberts said. “But I will say the most important thing is to keep the guys on their schedules, not try to push too much because of circumstances with the rotation, because then you start to compromise their health.”

To fill the gap, the Dodgers called up left-hander Charlie Barnes from Triple-A Oklahoma City, adding a fresh arm to a staff that will need to weather the storm over the coming weeks.