Dodgers trying to make Blake Treinen injury update sound good, but it isn't

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed right-hander Blake Treinen on the 15-day injured list over the weekend due to forearm tightness. It didn't sound like too serious of an injury, especially since Treinen was warming up in the Dodgers' bullpen as recently as Friday.

"Not too concerned, given that he was still trying to pitch yesterday," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). “But I think I just reserve judgment until we get more from the scan. But the level of concern is not too high right now.”

However, for an almost 37-year-old relief pitcher with a checkered injury history who missed the entire 2023 season while recovering from shoulder surgery, things like "forearm tightness" usually aren't as innocuous as they sound.

Dodgers trying to make Blake Treinen injury update sound good, but it isn't

Treinen recently underwent an MRI to determine the severity of his injury, and the result revealed no structural damage. While that's certainly a positive for Treinen, he's hardly out of the woods yet; he still has a "low-grade sprain" in his forearm, and there is still no timeline for his return.

Given that Treinen hasn't pitched in a game since April 13, it's anyone's guess as to when he could return to the mound for the Dodgers. Even if he has avoided a major injury (for now), it seems likely at this point that Treinen will be out for at least a month, if not longer.

When Treinen has been able to stay healthy, he has pitched to a 2.34 ERA, 28.4% strikeout rate, and 7.6% walk rate across 157 2/3 relief innings across five seasons in Los Angeles. Treinen also has a 3.24 ERA in 33 1/3 postseason innings with the Dodgers, winning World Series championships in both 2020 and 2024.

Treinen's production won't be easy to replace – unless, of course, you're the Dodgers and you have an insane amount of pitching depth. Fortunately for Los Angeles, Evan Phillips is back from his own stint on the 15-day IL, and he has already recorded back-to-back holds in his return.

Still, the ambiguity around Treinen's injury – not to mention his age and his history – leave plenty of room for concern about the veteran reliever's return timeline. He said during the offseason that he probably wouldn't have signed on for another two years in Los Angeles if he didn't want to finish his career there. Hopefully, he can stay healthy long enough to make it to the finish line.

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