Dodgers Reliever Suffers Sudden Injury, Ruled Out for Rest of Season in Brutal Development

The three-time World Series champion won't be on the mound for a fourth

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) is congratulated pitcher Blake Treinen (49) and right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) after hitting a walk-off home run in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium on June 5, 2026. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen was dealt a serious blow Saturday when pitcher Blake Treinen suffered a shoulder injury warming up in the bullpen.

Treinen will end the regular season on the injured list and will not pitch in the postseason, manager Dave Roberts told reporters in San Francisco.

“I don't know if it was a complete blowout, but really unfortunate,” Roberts said.

Treinen missed all of July and August with right elbow inflammation. Overall he's 4-1 with a 3.64 ERA in 36 appearances in his seventh season since joining the Dodgers. He was averaging more than a strikeout per inning with a 1.416 WHIP in a set-up role.

Two right-handed relievers, Will Klein and Edgardo Henriquez, were already facing injury question marks as October approached. Without Treinen, the Dodgers are even more likely to need Roki Sasaki to pick up high-leverage relief assignments as he moves from the regular-season rotation to the postseason bullpen.

Evan Phillips, Edwin Diaz, and Brock Stewart are the other right-handed relievers that Roberts figures to have at his disposal in October.

After pitching five games in 2022, Treinen suffered a major shoulder injury that required surgery and knocked him out for all of 2023. Since then, however, he hasn't been placed on the IL because of an issue related to his shoulder.

Since he was cleared to return from his elbow injury in September, Treinen had allowed eight hits and three runs (all earned) in 6.2 innings across seven games.

At 38, the timing of the injury raises questions about Treinen's future in baseball. He is a free agent at the end of this season. His next contract — assuming he wants one — will be dependent on the extent of his injury and the timetable for his recovery.

In 12 MLB seasons — the last six with the Dodgers — Treinen is 49-42 with a 2.94 ERA and 83 saves. Although he served as the Dodgers' closer only occasionally, he was a reliable source of strikeouts, low ERAs, and some big postseason moments as the Dodgers capture three World Series championships this decade.

In 2024, Treinen saved three postseason games in three opportunities, allowing only three runs across nine October appearances.

Treinen was the winning pitcher in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, when he threw 2.1 scoreless relief innings against the New York Yankees.

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