Blake Snell's return to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers has been cut short, as the star left-hander is heading back to the injured list after just one start. The former Cy Young Award winner has been diagnosed with loose bodies in his left elbow—a troubling injury that has sidelined other big-name pitchers like Mets closer Edwin Diaz and Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

Snell was activated on May 9 to face the Atlanta Braves, but his outing was a rocky one: he pitched only three innings, allowed four runs, and battled constant baserunners, some of which came from unlucky soft-contact hits. Just days later, on May 15, he was scratched from what would have been his second start of the season. Now, he's back on the 15-day IL, with the earliest possible activation date of May 27.

This isn't the first time Snell has dealt with elbow trouble. He missed more than two months in 2019 due to the same issue. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have activated lefty Charlie Barnes, recently acquired from the Cubs, to fill Snell's spot in the rotation.

Snell has been battling shoulder discomfort since the end of the 2025 season, and he admitted he may have rushed his return, eager to make his Dodgers debut. He took a slow ramp-up through spring training and made several minor league rehab appearances before his brief start. While he successfully returned for the postseason last year, giving the team hope he could stay healthy, this latest setback has dashed those plans—at least for now.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has left the door open for surgery, but expects Snell to return "this year." For now, fans and fantasy owners alike will be watching closely as the lefty works through yet another recovery.