Marlins pitcher prospect Robby Snelling to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery
The Miami Marlins lost one of their top pitching prospects for the season after just one big-league start.
Left-handed pitcher Robby Snelling, ranked as the team’s No. 2 prospect and the No. 28 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, will undergo reconstructive surgery to repair the UCL in his left elbow on Friday, the team announced on Thursday.
Snelling made his MLB debut on May 8, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out two in five innings of work. He then felt discomfort in his elbow on May 12 following a bullpen session. The team shut Snelling down from throwing at that point and placed him on the 15-day injured list. He visited Dr. Keith Meister on Thursday and the decision for Tommy John surgery was made following that consultation.
“Disappointing for him [and] us,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told reporters prior to the team’s 9-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. “That’s an unfortunate part of our industry. Guys go down. So Robby will have the surgery. We’ll have more what the timeline and return to play will look like after that. We just keep going, and Robby will come back from this a stronger person.”
The Marlins on Thursday moved Snelling to the 60-day injured list in anticipation of his surgery as part of a slew of roster moves ahead of their series finale against the Atlanta Braves.
Miami also placed infielder Leo Jimenez on the seven-day injured list with concussion symptoms, recalled infielder Graham Pauley from Triple A Jacksonville and acquired outfielder Rece Hinds from the Cincinnati Reds for minor-league pitcher Zach McCambley. Hinds will report to Jacksonville.
This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 3:38 PM.
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