Dodgers lose Blake Treinen to season-ending shoulder injury
The short version
- Blake Treinen injured his shoulder while warming up Saturday night and will miss the rest of the season.
- The 38-year-old reliever had returned in early September from a 60-day IL stint due to an elbow injury.
- Manager Dave Roberts said imaging will determine the severity; the full extent is unknown.
- Treinen is making $11 million this season and has been with the Dodgers since 2019.
- His absence creates bullpen roster opportunities ahead of the playoffs.
Reliever Blake Treinen hurt his shoulder while warming up in the bullpen on Saturday and will miss the playoffs, manager Dave Roberts said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will head into the postseason without right-handed reliever Blake Treinen. The 38-year-old hurt his shoulder while warming up to enter Saturday night's game, and manager Dave Roberts confirmed afterward that the injury ends his season.
Treinen had only recently worked his way back onto the active roster. The Dodgers reinstated him from the 60-day injured list in early September after an elbow issue sidelined him. According to CBS Sports, he threw 6.1 shutout innings across Single-A and Triple-A rehab appearances during his recovery, recording eight strikeouts along the way.
The injury occurred during a bullpen session as Treinen prepared to come into the game. Bill Plunkett, a Dodgers beat writer, first reported that the reliever's season was over and that he would undergo imaging to determine the extent of the damage.
Roberts addressed the situation after the game but said the full severity of the injury is not yet clear. "It's unfortunate. He was warming up and it was his shoulder, so I don't know if it was a complete blowout, but really unfortunate," Roberts said. "Obviously it's an IL, his season's over. I saw him and hugged him. I'll circle back."
Treinen has been part of the Dodgers organization since signing with the club in 2019 and had become one of the team's most trusted bullpen arms. He is earning $11 million this season. Given his age and history of injuries, there is speculation about what the setback could mean for the remainder of his career, though nothing has been determined.
The timing is a significant blow for Los Angeles, which has been dealing with injuries throughout the regular season but was close to full strength heading into October. The club is chasing a third consecutive World Series title.
Despite the loss, the Dodgers are considered one of the deepest rosters in baseball. Treinen's absence opens the door for relievers who had been competing for the final spots on the postseason roster to claim a place in the bullpen for the playoff run.
The Dodgers continue their regular-season schedule with a road game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Sunday, September 27, at 3:05 PM EDT. Coverage is available on MLB.TV, NBC Sports BA, and SportsNet LA.
