2022 Dodgers in review: Blake Treinen

Blake Treinen entered the 2022 season as one of the best relievers in the sport. Coming off his best season since a record-setting campaign in 2018 with the Oakland A’s, Treinen looked set to headline the Dodgers bullpen, but the 34-year-old right-hander never got a chance to.

Treinen made three appearances in April and was quickly shut down with shoulder discomfort that prompted the team to put him on the injured list. Tests revealed that the reliever had a partial tear on his right shoulder capsule, and from that point onwards, everything was on the table.

Meeting with the Dodgers, and weighing all the options, Treinen opted against surgery, and went on a long rehab process, hoping to possibly contribute again this season. After all, particularly for this team, under this set of circumstances, Treinen’s impact would be most felt in the playoffs, and as long as the Dodgers were able to have him back by October, then everything would be set.

The primary factor for Treinen to opt against the surgery was that the area in his shoulder scarred much quicker than originally anticipated, which allowed for the non-surgical rehab.

The Dodgers' reliever was able to return in early September, but after a couple of outings, he began to feel tightness in his lat, and as the issue failed to go away, Treinen went back to the injured list for the remainder of the season and had one forgettable performance in the Dodgers’ short-lived postseason run.

In early November, Treinen underwent shoulder surgery to repair his labrum and rotator cuff. The hope is that he can pitch again near the end of the 2023 season, hopefully being around for the playoffs, but we musn’t make any predictions before seeing how he progresses in his recovery.

At the end of the day, it is a season of disappointment for Treinen and the Dodgers, but hopefully, we’ll get the issues fixed with the talented right-hander, and have him return 100 percent. Whether that’s at the end of 2023, or the beginning of the 2024 season, just wish him to be fully healthy.

2022 particulars

Age: 34

Stats: 1-1, 1.80 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 0.40 WHIP, 5 IP, 6 K

Salary: $6 million, plus $2 million of his $4-million signing bonus

Game of the year

Treinen on opening day pitched a perfect seventh inning at Coors Field to protect a three-run lead, including a strikeout of Charlie Blackmon.

Roster status

Treinen signed a contract extension in May that guaranteed the 2023 team option he had at $8 million, that also includes a conditional option for 2024.