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Postseason rosters are often stacked with star players who deservedly get most of the credit for their team's success. But one thing that practically every MLB playoff team in history has in common is an unlikely hero who delivers an unexpected performance that ends up being a difference maker in the postseason.
For the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers, one of those unlikely heroes is 36-year-old relief pitcher Blake Treinen.
The right-hander, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, induced a game-ending ground out from Fernando Tatis Jr. to seal the Dodgers' 2-0 win over the San Diego Padres and punch their ticket to the NL Championship Series.
At this time last year, many Dodgers fans probably wouldn't have even expected Treinen to still be on the team this season.
"Man, I can't talk. I've been screaming for the last three games, I lost my voice. It's a blast, I'm excited to be with my guys"
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 12, 2024
Blake Treinen talks with @Ken_Rosenthal after the Dodgers eliminated the Padres pic.twitter.com/C2rYWYCyLJ
He had signed a one-year, $8 million contract extension with Los Angeles in 2023 that included a $1 million club option for 2024. Since his option did not include a buyout, Treinen could have easily been removed from the Dodgers' payroll – which seemed like the likeliest course of action, considering his health history.
Treinen underwent surgery to repair the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder in 2022, which caused him to miss the entire 2023 season. He began a rehab assignment late in the year, but was ultimately shut down with shoulder soreness.
Andrew Friedman's contract gamble on Blake Treinen is saving Dodgers right now
Understandably, it came as a bit of a surprise to many when Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman chose to pick up Treinen's option for 2024. Treinen was one of the Dodgers' most effective relievers when healthy, but he hadn't even seen a Major League mound for a full season since 2021.
The Dodgers' gamble on Treinen appeared to be almost an immediate loss, as he suffered two fractured ribs in a March spring training game that set his return back even further. However, his return to the Dodgers' bullpen in May gave the team an instant boost when they needed it the most amid a slew of injuries to their pitching staff.
It's looking like the Dodgers were right to bet on Treinen and his late-game dominance, even with his troubling injury history. Now, he's sealing series-clinching wins and keeping Los Angeles alive in the chase for a World Series title.
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