Blake Treinen underwent surgery to repair the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder in November 2022 but maintained confidence he would be able to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers this past season. However, that did not come to fruition.
Treinen began a rehab assignment in late August and pitched in three games before he was shut down due to shoulder soreness. The right-hander allowed three runs on two hits and collected two strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work.
While it was a disappointing outcome, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Treinen should not have any limitations when Spring Training begins, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
Gomes said Blake Treinen is expected to be a full go for the Dodgers in spring training after missing the entire 2023 season following offseason shoulder surgery.
Gomes believes having a full offseason to get healthy will put Treinen on the right path to contribute during the 2024 season:
“It’s really just get set up to go out and dominate and have a regular offseason and come into the year in a much more regular setup than he’s had over the last few years,” Gomes said.
In parts of three seasons with the Dodgers, Treinen has posted a 2.45 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and averaged 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings across 104 games. He was a key member of the Dodgers bullpen during the team’s 2020 World Series run and followed that up with one of his best seasons the following year.
Treinen only logged five innings during the 2022 season but should easily surpass that total next year, barring another setback. If he is able to return to form, Treinen should once again be a key member of the bullpen and provide Dodgers manager Dave Roberts with another high-leverage option.
Blake Treinen’s contract option
The Dodgers exercised their $1 million club option on Treinen for the 2024 season, which was an easy decision given how effective he has been when healthy.
The value of the option was conditional on how many innings pitched for the team in 2023.
Even if Treinen does not return to form or continues to deal with injuries, the low-risk, high-reward value of picking up his option was too much for the Dodgers to pass up.
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