While the Los Angeles Dodgers (14-11) are sitting in first place in the NL East, the club almost has as many injured players as wins. Two of those players are relief pitcher Blake Treinen and outfielder Jason Heyward, who each would strengthen the team significantly if they were healthy.
Club manager Dave Roberts offered updates on both of their statuses Tuesday, via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
“Blake Treinen is going to start a rehab assignment this week. Will need 3 or 4 outings before he’s ready,” said Ardaya. “Jason Heyward isn’t swinging a bat. Still dealing with ‘residual soreness.’ Still more than a week from starting a rehab.”
When can the Dodgers expect both players to be fully back up to speed? How will this affect the bullpen and starting lineup?
When will Heyward be ready to boost the bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup?
While Heyward isn’t one of Los Angeles’ top offensive threats, he’s still a valuable depth piece. The five-time Gold Glove Award winner slashed .269/.340/.473 with 15 homers and 40 RBI across 124 games in his first season with the Dodgers last year. Heyward had the club’s fourth-highest batting average for players who played a full season.
The 34-year-old has been dealing with lower back tightness since Spring Training and has only played four games thus far as a result. The fact that he’s still not swinging a bat suggests that he won’t be back for at least a few weeks, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Heyward will join the Dodgers in Phoenix next week to re-evaluate his progress, via the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett.
Los Angeles could use his services, as a couple of their current outfielders are struggling at the plate. Enrique Hernandez is hitting .208 with one homer and five RBI across 48 at-bats, and James Outman is hitting .191 with two homers and eight RBI across 68 at-bats. A healthy Heyward could easily slot in and replace either one of these players later on in the season.
Treinen’s almost done with his two-year-long recovery
Luckily, Treinen has a clearer roadmap. The right-hander made his first rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, allowing three runs in just 0.1 innings pitched. He was pulled after 20 pitches, as the outing wasn’t going particularly well. This was Treinen’s first game action since Spring Training on March 9th, when he got hit by a line drive that caused a bruised lung and two cracked ribs.
Treinen’s injury troubles have been constant since the beginning of 2022 when he went down with a sore shoulder. He never fully recovered, pitching in just five games that year. The 2018 All-Star then underwent surgery that November and was just getting back up to speed before getting struck by the line drive in Spring Training. However, he should finally be back in the big leagues within a couple of weeks.
The Dodgers would benefit from a healthy Treinen, as their bullpen currently ranks just 20th in the league with a 4.18 ERA. The 2020 World Series champion has an impressive resume, sporting a 2.86 ERA with 504 strikeouts and 79 saves. If and when he finally gets back to his full potential, expect Los Angeles’ bullpen to improve its ERA significantly.
More must-reads: