Dodgers: Injured Reliever Hopeful He Can Return This Season
Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen missed almost all of the 2022 season with a shoulder injury. He battled his way back late in the season, but ultimately the shoulder issue was too severe and he eventually went under the knife to repair the labrum and rotator cuff.
Shoulder surgeries have a long recovery time, and it's questionable whether the 34-year-old Treinen will be able to pitch at all in 2023. But as Fabian Ardaya reports from the first day of spring training, Treinen hopes to contribute this year.
Treinen has been with Los Angeles since 2020, and he's been excellent at times. After an up-and-down season in 2020, he was the team's best reliever in 2021, posting a 1.99 ERA in 72.1 innings. Overall, he has a 2.45 ERA in 103 innings for LA.
Treinen didn't have his shoulder surgery until November, which is going to make a 2023 return very unlikely. He's under contract for $8 million this year, and Los Angeles holds a team option for 2024 that could be anywhere from $1 million to $7 million, depending on health, but that was agreed on before his surgery.
Spring is a time of eternal optimism for teams, fans, and players. Treinen saying in February that he hopes to pitch this year won't mean nearly as much as the updates we get over the next several months as he progresses in his rehab. The Dodgers don't seem to be counting on him, but if he can come back healthy and effective near the end of the season, they'd certainly welcome him.
