Dodgers: Blake Treinen Nears Return After Taking Big Step In Recovery

The Dodgers have been without their late-inning reliever for most of the season, but that could be changing very soon.

It's a minor miracle that the Dodgers' bullpen has performed as well as it has given all the injuries that it has sustained. This is a team that was supposed to have Blake Treinen, Tommy Kahnle, Daniel Hudson, and Victor Gonzalez for the late innings, yet all of these players are currently down with various injuries. 

Still, the Dodgers have found ways to keep winning, and they even boast the 2nd-best bullpen ERA in the National League (3.30), only behind the Atlanta Braves. 

The "next man up" mentality has been in full effect for LA this year, but they could still benefit from the return of a few of their big arms. Luckily for them, one pitcher is nearing a potential return from the IL. 

Blake Treinen has been shut down since the middle of April due to a shoulder injury that started small before turning into a bigger issue. 

What started off as arm soreness quickly turned into a lingering issue that the veteran righty just couldn't shake. His return was estimated to be after the All-Star break, and it seems as if that is precisely what will happen. 

As most Americans were busy celebrating the 4th of July, Treinen was hard at work trying to take the next steps in his recovery. In this case, it included throwing off a mound for the first time since the injury.

Getting Treinen back would be a huge boost for a team that is trying to build momentum after a rough month of June. While the Dodgers haven't been playing terribly, they are still searching for the magic formula that will have them firing on all cylinders for a deep October push. 

Given how much Kimbrel has struggled to find consistency in the closer spot, it wouldn't be a bad thing to have Treinen as a backup plan as we enter the second half of the season.