The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Blake Treinen off the 60-day injured list and optioned Will Klein to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers had two open spots on their 40-man roster, so no further corresponding move was needed to activate Treinen.
Also before Sunday’s game against the Boston Red Sox, the Dodgers recalled Justin Wrobleski and optioned Edgardo Henriquez.
Klein had been with the Dodgers since Michael Kopech was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 1. It marked his third stint with the team this season since joining them on June 2 in a trade with the Seattle Mariners.
The 25-year-old has been somewhat effective with a 3.38 ERA and shown some upside with 15 strikeouts in 10.2 innings, but command has been Klein’s downfall.
Klein has walked nine hitters in 10 games, giving him a 1.97 WHIP. He has also loaded the bases in each of his previous two outings with four total walks in just two innings.
If the Dodgers can figure out a way to get Klein to consistently throw more strikes, he could develop into a high-leverage option for the team given his elite stuff. However, improving Klein’s control is a major if right now and there’s no guarantee he’s able to do that.
Prior to joining the Dodgers, Klein walked 8.02 batters per nine innings in 21.1 innings for the Mariners organization in Triple-A. He has shown no signs of improving that with the Dodgers.
Blake Treinen back with Dodgers
Treinen is back after spending roughly two weeks on a rehab assignment that primarily entailed pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
He had been on the injured list since April 19 due to a right forearm sprain. The Dodgers transferred Treinen to the 60-day IL on May 1 amid a prolonged recovery process.
Treinen pitched seven innings while allowing just one earned run on one hit during seven games on his rehab assignment. He also struck out 10 hitters and walked one in his outings.
The right-hander pitched in back-to-back games on July 23 and 24, working two perfect innings. That was the final step in Treinen’s rehab process before he became an option to re-join the Dodgers.
Treinen has only appeared in eight games this season, allowing a 3.38 ERA with a 27.8% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate over his eight innings.
Last season, Treinen was limited to 46.2 innings due to injuries, but still finished the year with a 1.93 ERA and became the Dodgers’ most important reliever in the postseason.
If he can stay healthy, Treinen figures to be a major boost to a struggling Dodgers bullpen and could see some save chances. However, the expectation is Treinen will work in the highest-leverage moments, which is a role he has filled throughout his tenure with the team.
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