Blake Treinen is continuing to rehab and work his way back to the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen after undergoing surgery last November to repair the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
Shortly after the surgery, Treinen expressed confidence he would pitch during the 2023 season and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said nearly two weeks ago his confidence was growing that the right-hander would be able to return.
Treinen began his rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League (ACL) Dodgers on Tuesday afternoon and pitched a scoreless inning against the Chicago Cubs’ affiliate.
He is now expected to move his rehab to join Triple-A Oklahoma City, but Roberts considers the chances slim that Treinen will be able to return this year, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I hope it works out. I hope he can come out of it and get a few under his belt and join us,” Roberts said. “It’s still the shoulder, and when you’re talking about the shoulder, it always seems to be a long shot. “I don’t expect him, and I don’t think Blake expects, to be 100 percent if and when he were to join us. So I think, given that, I still think it’s a long shot – whatever level he is built up to, however he is feeling – to pitch for us.”
Since signing with the Dodgers as a free agent in the winter of 2019, Treinen has pitched to a 2.45 ERA in 104 games while helping them win the 2020 World Series.
He displayed one of the best seasons of his eight-year Major League career in 2021, posting a 1.99 ERA in 72.1 innings of work. During the 2022 season, Treinen pitched to a 1.80 ERA, but it came in just five innings of work due to his injury issues.
He began the 2023 season on the 60-day injured list, so the Dodgers would need to add him to their 40-man roster if he’s able to return.
Blake Treinen’s rehab assignment
Treinen faced batters in two simulated games, which saw his velocity get an unexpected increase.
In his outing with the ACL Dodgers, he pitched a scoreless inning on 10 pitches. Treinen struck out the first two batters he faced.
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