Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: LA to be Cautious with Blake Treinen’s Usage Upon Return

After several rehab appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen is getting close to returning to the big-league club. Treinen has been out since April with a shoulder issue.

When he does return, Treinen will be inserted into the high-leverage role he’s used to with the Dodgers, although manager Dave Roberts will be a bit cautious with his usage, as Bill Plunkett reports in the Orange County Register.



“I don’t think there will be an up-down,” Roberts said, referring to closing out an inning and going back out to start the next inning. “I think we’ll be fine with the back-to-back but the up-down is what we’ll be very mindful of.”

Treinen pitched for OKC on Sunday for the second straight day, his first “back-to-back” of his rehab stint. With that box checked off, Treinen is essentially ready to return, which he will do on Friday when the Dodgers head home to face the Padres.

Avoiding the “up-down” will be a slight change from the usage Treinen is used to; 18 of his 72 appearances in 2021 spanned multiple innings. But Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol have both evolved into that fireman role of shutting down potential rallies by the opposing team, so Roberts will likely tend towards using Treinen to start a clean inning.

The Los Angeles bullpen has been outstanding this year, and the return of Treinen, their best reliever in 2021, will hopefully bolster that and clarify some roles going forward. If Treinen can be healthy and effective in October, it makes the Dodgers that much scarier to playoff opponents.

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Jeff Snider

Jeff was born into a Dodgers family in Southern California and is now raising a Dodgers family of his own in Utah. During his previous career as an executive at a technology company, he began writing about baseball in his spare time. After leaving corporate America in 2014, he started doing it professionally. Jeff wrote and edited for Baseball Essential for years before joining Dodgers Nation. He's also the co-host of the Locked On Dodgers podcast, a daily podcast that brings the smart fan's perspective on our Boys in Blue. Jeff has a degree in English from Brigham Young University. Favorite Player: Clayton Kershaw Favorite Moment: Kirk Gibson's homer will always have a place, but Kershaw's homer on Opening Day 2013 might be the winner.

One Comment

  1. Breaking news Gonsolin goes on IL with forearm strain.
    Robert’s just the other day said the load they were giving Gonsolin would not wear him out down the stretch guess that was wron hope he gets back soon to save the team in the playoffs.

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