Blake Snell will hear roars once he returns to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The left-handed pitcher has been out of action for most of the summer. He’s back from a surgery that drew similarities to Tarik Skubal.
Skubal needed to undergo the knife to fix his own left elbow. The Detroit Tigers star pitcher remains linked as a strong possibility to join LA via the MLB Trade Market. Skubal underwent a ‘NanoNeedle’ technique that promised a shorter rehab period. Now he’s hitting 98-99 miles per hour on his pitches, all while overhearing trade chatter.
Snell underwent something identical. Yet his description will catch eyeballs.
Blake Snell Gets Real on Tarik Skubal-Like Surgery
Snell’s surgery took place two weeks after Skubal visited the surgery room. He told Bill Plunkett of the LA Daily News that Skubal’s process made him feel like a “unicorn” with how quick he got back to form.
But Snell became perfectly blunt: His surgery wasn’t as similar to Skubal’s as many think. Especially in verbally illustrating his process.
“It was two different surgeries,” Snell told Plunkett. “His was 30 minutes. They chipped the bone down, took the bone out.”
How Blake Snell’s Surgery Became Different
Snell needed bone fragments removed in a far different area.
“I had bones on each side of my elbow and through my canal (in the back of the joint),” Snell said.
How long did the procedure take?
“So it was a 2½-hour surgery compared to 30 minutes. It’s two different surgeries. A lot more was done,” Snell said.
Blake Snell will Energize Dodgers Fans With These Next Words
Snell tossed the ball during a practice session to prepare for his return. Some fans and analysts will draw concerns that he may re-tweak the injury.
But Snell energized Dodger fans with these words.
“I’m pain-free,” Snell said. “I always had some form of pain, but you just battle through it. And I thought it was just going to be there forever.”
The World Series winner thought the pain was “something I’m just going to have to deal with.” But stayed optimistic through it all.
“I’ll battle through it,” Snell thought to himself. “But then I had the surgery and as soon as I started throwing again I was, ‘Hey, my shoulder feels good.” I was in great spirits, just real happy.”
So pain doesn’t exist inside his arm and elbow region. Allowing Snell to throw more freely.
“My body feels great. I can locate a pitch where I want too now. That’s pretty cool,” Snell told Plunkett. “All the time now, not just once in awhile.”
Snell Boosts Dodgers’ World Series Chances
The lefty’s return is crucial for the Dodgers. Their hill lineup became battered with one MLB Injury after another. Especially in the reliever room, with Edwin Diaz not in the lineup.
But now Snell’s incoming return is easing the concerns fans had for this pitching lineup. Because LA brings back a trusted veteran who knows that this is when teams flip a switch and spark a postseason run.
So Snell is ready to return to form moving forward.
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