Blake Treinen and Jason Heyward were among the first members of the Los Angeles Dodgers to be bitten by the injury bug this season.
Treinen has not made his 2024 debut as a result of fractured ribs he suffered late in Spring Training due to being hit by a line-drive comebacker to the chest.
Heyward has been out of commission for a while as well, only playing in a handful of games before being placed on the 10-day injured list because of lower back tightness.
The Dodgers were optimistic Treinen and Heyward would be back in action sooner rather than later, but both injuries have persisted well beyond the initial assessment.
Heyward’s back issues in particular have stubbornly lingered after it seemed as if he was making good progress a couple weeks ago.
However, now it seems as if Treinen is the closer of the two on the path of returning to the Dodgers, Dave Roberts said via Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic:
Couple Dodgers injury updates from Dave Roberts:
Blake Treinen is going to start a rehab assignment this week. Will need 3 or 4 outings before he’s ready.
Jason Heyward isn’t swinging a bat. Still dealing with “residual soreness.” Still more than a week from starting a rehab.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 23, 2024
The news on the Treinen front is encouraging for a Dodgers bullpen in desperate need of reinforcements. It has suffered greatly from overuse and poor performance from some of its 2023 contributors.
Without Treinen and Brusdar Graterol, two arms the Dodgers were counting on as key contributors, the bullpen currently ranks in the bottom half of the league in ERA.
The arrow was trending upward for Treinen after a positive Cactus League season prior to his injury. The right-hander gave up no runs and two hits in 3.2 innings during Spring Training.
Heyward’s condition is somewhat concerning considering that he has been dealing with residual soreness ever since he first ramped up baseball activities during his rehab process. However, the extended absence of Heyward can be mitigated if Andy Pages can continue to find his footing at the Major League level.
Blake Treinen struggles iin rehab assignment
Treinen joined the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club to begin his rehab assignment, and appeared in his first game, throwing 20 pitches. The results were not encouraging, however, as he only recorded one out on a strikeout while giving up three runs on three hits.
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