With less than two weeks until the start of the Seoul Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are working a balancing act of continuing to prepare for the regular season while avoiding injuries. Blake Treinen found himself at the crossroads of that during Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers.
After Michael Grove pitched 3.1 innings and Daniel Hudson finished off the fourth, Treinen entered the game in the fifth for his fourth Cactus League appearance of the year.
It wound up being brief as Treinen was hit by a line-drive comebacker just two batters in. Treinen writhed on the ground in pain while a Dodgers trainer rushed to check on him as Dodgers teammates gathered around the mound.
Treinen eventually stood up and walked off the field under his own power. He was replaced by J.P. Feyereisen.
According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Treinen is undergoing X-rays and a CT scan for his right rib injury
Including his abbreviated appearance on Saturday, Treinen has thrown 3.2 innings this spring while allowing two hits and collecting two strikeouts.
Treinen is looking to contribute out of the Dodgers bullpen after missing all of the 2023 season due to a prolonged recovery from right shoulder surgery. There was hope the veteran would contribute late in the year, and Treinen did begin a rehab assignment, but continued to deal with lingering soreness between bullpen sessions and games.
The Dodgers nevertheless exercised their team option on Treinen for the 2024 season, which reportedly was only worth $1 million because it had been based on innings pitched last year.
Blake Treinen expected to be on Dodgers’ Opening Day roster
When recently forecasting the bullpen outlook for Opening Day, manager Dave Roberts said the hope and anticipation was for Daniel Hudson, Feyereisen and Treinen would be on the roster.
Roberts has since backed off some with the projection for Hudson, who has an opt-out date in his Minor League contract approaching but is unlikely to exercise it due to being part of the team’s early plans.
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