Blake Snell (elbow) throws successful bullpen

Snell will throw a handful of bullpen sessions before progressing to facing hitters in a live batting practice session. The 33-year-old lefty is working his way back from last month’s innovative NanoScope surgery to remove bone spurs from his left elbow. He figures to rejoin the Dodgers rotation sometime after the All-Star break.

Snell is in the process of recovering from surgery to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow. He still has plenty of his throwing progression to go through, but if all goes according to plan and he’s able to avoid setbacks, Snell could be ready to rejoin the Dodgers’ rotation shortly after the All-Star break.

It’s the first step in what’s expected to be a lengthy recovery from surgery to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow. He’s not eligible to return from the injured list until after the All-Star break and the Dodgers are cautiously optimistic that he’ll be ready not long after that.

This was done as a procedural move to free up a spot on the team’s 40-man roster for the return of Santiago Espinal on Friday. Snell underwent the NanoScope surgery in mid-May to remove three bone spurs from his pitching elbow. He’s now not eligible to return until after the All-Star break.

Snell underwent the innovative surgical procedure, which is less invasive and uses a smaller incision than a typical arthroscopic surgery, that Tigers ace Tarik Skubal also underwent earlier this month. The hope is that it’ll expedite his return to Los Angeles’ rotation. The 33-year-old southpaw remains without a definitive return timetable yet, but early estimates give him a decent shot at making it back in roughly two months. Fantasy managers shouldn’t anticipate him returning until after the All-Star break in July.

Snell will have the same innovative procedure, which is less invasive and uses a smaller incision than a typical arthroscopic surgery, that Tigers ace Tarik Skubal underwent earlier this month. The hope that the procedure will take a full month off the usual three-month recovery timeline from previous surgeries. There should be a definitive timetable once he starts ramping up his throwing program in a couple weeks.

Roberts was not sure if the operation will be the same that Tarik Skubal underwent, which carries a 4-6 week recovery timeline. If he did undergo that procedure, it would put him out through at least July, with a return after the All-Star break the most likely outcome. River Ryan is expected to take Snell’s place in the rotation in the meantime. When healthy, Snell is one of the best in baseball, but it’s yet another season that will be shortened substantially due to injury.

Nothing official from the Dodgers after Snell landed on the injured list prior to Friday’s scheduled start against the Angels with an elbow injury. The 33-year-old southpaw spent the first seven weeks of the season working his way back from offseason shoulder issues. It’s worth noting that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed optimism that Snell would pitch again this season, but that’s hardly a lock. He can be safely dropped in shallow fantasy formats where roster spots are at a premium. It’ll likely be former top pitching prospect River Ryan taking his rotation spot next week.

Ugh. Snell missed the first seven weeks of the season while recovering from shoulder fatigue and then returned to make just one poor start before being shelved again. Charlie Barnes was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday to take his place on the active roster. No word yet on how long Snell is expected to be sidelined before, but traditionally loose bodies in the elbow take 2-3 months of recovery time if they are surgically removed.

No word yet on the reason for the late scratch, but the Dodgers now plan to go with Will Klein as an opener in what will be a bullpen game. Snell has made just one start since returning from the injured list, giving up five runs (four earned) over three innings in a loss to the Braves on Saturday. Stay tuned, as the Dodgers should have an update on his status shortly.