Los Angeles Dodgers veteran right-hander Blake Treinen won’t be part of the postseason bullpen after suffering a shoulder injury while warming up in the bullpen during a September 26 matchup against the San Francisco Giants.
Peers have expressed strong support for the veteran pitcher’s leadership within the relief corps.
Bulvark of the Bullpen and Locker Room Reaction
Teammates acknowledged the heavy impact of losing a central figure in the relief unit.
“It’s gut-wrenching for us,” Alex Vesia said, via Jack Harris of the California Post. “Blake’s one of our leaders out there in the bullpen.”
Despite his influence, comparisons to Evan Phillips overlook stark differences in age, timing, and medical history. Phillips was re-signed while recovering from Tommy John surgery at age 32, whereas Treinen will enter his age-39 season if he attempts to pitch in 2027. Furthermore, Phillips had been mostly healthy prior to his UCL injury, while Treinen has endured a series of physical setbacks.
A History of Injuries and Roster Volatility
Treinen has not completed a fully healthy campaign since 2021. His recent years have been repeatedly disrupted by physical maladies, limiting him to just 29⅔ innings this season after missing nearly two months with elbow inflammation.
These persistent injuries contrast sharply with pitchers who maintain baseline durability before major interruptions. For the Dodgers, the situation highlights the volatility of investing heavily in veteran relievers, echoing recent roster experiments with Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Edwin Diaz. As the front office weighs its options for fortifying the bullpen ahead of October, relying on internal development paths similar to how the club originally acquired Phillips may offer a more reliable template than star-chasing in the relief market.
Blake Snell Exits Early Due to Groin Tightness
Snell joined the Dodgers on a five-year, $182 million contract ahead of the 2025 season. The trouble began in the Great American Ball Park bullpen before the game.
I felt good all day, and then the second-to-last pitch of the bullpen, I threw a slider and then I felt it grab,
Snell said.
He pitched a scoreless first inning with one strikeout, giving up one hit to Sal Stewart that he erased in an inning-ending rundown, but saw a decrease in his average velocity. I was going to try to get through five, but I just knew I didn’t really have a good shot at doing that and remaining healthy,
he explained. Left-hander Blake Treinen replaced him in the second inning. Left-hander Kris Bubic later made his Dodgers debut in the eighth inning after being acquired at the trade deadline while on the injured list with a flexor strain and shoulder impingement.
