Dodgers minors: Blake Treinen begins rehab assignment, Jorbit Vivas promoted to Triple-A

Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen pitched in his first game of the season on Tuesday, starting a minor league rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League.

Treinen struck out his first two batters faced and induced a flyout in a perfect first inning against the Cubs at Camelback Rancho. It was the first game for Treinen since undergoing right shoulder surgery in November to repair his labrum and rotator cuff.

When the Dodgers were at Chase Field in Phoenix two weeks ago, Treinen and fellow surgery-rehabber Walker Buehler faced hitters in a simulated game on August 9, with manager Dave Roberts telling reporters at the time regarding Treinen, “It was a lot more than we anticipated.”

Shoulder injuries also limited Treinen last season with two long stints on the injured list, and pitched in only five regular season games. He was added to the Dodgers’ NLDS roster despite not pitching for the final month of the season, and allowed a solo home run in his only inning of action in the Division Series.

Player of the day

Ben Casparius had by far his best outing since getting promoted to Double-A Tulsa on Tuesday, striking out seven with no walks in 5⅔ innings, his longest outing with the Drillers. He struck out seven.

It was a great turnaround for the right-hander, who was drafted by the Dodgers out of UConn in the fifth round in 2021. In his first 13 games with Tulsa, including eight starts, Casparius allowed 45 runs (42 earned runs) in 45⅓ innings, including 13 home runs. But including Tuesday, he’s only allowed two long balls in his last six starts.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

A six-run seventh inning gave Oklahoma City a home loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies).

Jorbit Vivas was promoted to Oklahoma City after hitting .280/.391/.436 with a 123 wRC+ and more walks (54) than strikeouts (52) in Double-A. He had a single in five at-bats.

Vivas made the overwhelming bulk of his starts for Tulsa at second base but in his Triple-A debut he was at third base, where he started 10 times earlier this season and 110 times previously in the minors. On the first play hit to him at his new level, Vivas started a 5-4-3 double play in the first inning.

Gavin Stone followed an opener for the first time this season, and pitched only three innings. He allowed only two hits, including a solo home run, and struck out three and threw only 35 pitches.

Pure speculation here, but considering the Dodgers started a stretch of 13 game days in a row on Tuesday and Bobby Miller pitched a career-high 6⅓ innings and threw 97 pitches in Cleveland, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Stone used in some extended capacity on Sunday in Boston. Roberts told reporters in Cleveland Tuesday night that Miller would get an extra day of rest after Tuesday’s start, which means Sunday at Fenway Park is TBD.

Shelby Miller hasn’t yet pitched in back-to-back games on his rehab assignment, but he pitched a third time for Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. Miller recorded only one out in a so-so outing that saw him allow a run on two singles, three stolen bases, a walk, and a strikeout.

Tyler Cyr, another 60-day-injured-lister on rehab, retired only one of his five batters faced, allowing two hits, two walks, and the first four runs in a six-run seventh inning that turned the game around.

Double-A Tulsa

Diego Cartaya and Josh Stowers homered to back Casparius in Tulsa’s win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals).

Luis Yanel Diaz walked in the sixth inning, then with two outs stole second and third base. Then Josh Stowers walked and the duo pulled off a double steal, with Diaz stealing second, third, and home in the same inning.

High-A Great Lakes

Hyun-il Choi allowed only one run in five innings, striking out four in the Loons’ win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres).

Great Lakes on the season has 179 stolen bases to lead the Midwest League, in 114 games. On Tuesday they swiped five bases, including two by second baseman Taylor Young to give him a team-leading 48 steals on the season, two behind Peoria center fielder Victor Scott.

Young on the night had three hits, including a double, scored two runs, and drove in another.

Award winner: Catcher/first baseman Griffin Lockwood-Powell hit for the cycle last Friday and homered twice on Sunday. In all, he hit .435/.536/1.000 with 10 hits, six extra-base hits, five walks, six runs scored, and nine RBI in six games against Lansing. On Monday, Lockwood-Powell was named Midwest League player of the week. He’s the seventh Loons player to capture weekly honors this season along with hitters Austin Gauthier (twice), Dalton Rushing, and Luis Yanel Diaz, plus pitchers Ben Casparius, Yon Castro, and Jerming Rosario.

On Tuesday, Lockwood-Powell got the scoring started with a two-run double in the first inning.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

Christian Romerto would have been a worthy player of the day as well, with seven strikeouts in five scoreless innings in the Quakes win over the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres).

Rayne Doncon had three hits, including a home run. Jose De Paula had four hits, including a double.

Arizona Complex League

Tuesday was the final game of the regular season in Arizona, with playoffs coming this weekend, beginning Friday. The Dodgers will be in it, after clinching a berth with Monday’s win. From minor league field coordinator Shaun Larkin:

On Tuesday, in addition to Treinen pitching his inning, there were a few debuts. Jaron Elkins, the Dodgers’ eighth-round pick this year and one of six high school draftees in this year’s class, made his professional debut in left field. He singled, stole a base, and scored in a seven-run first inning.

The big hit in that opening inning was a grand slam by right fielder German Tapia, playing his first game stateside a month shy of his 20th birthday. Tapia, who the Dodgers acquired from the Rays at the 2022 trade deadline for Garrett Cleavinger, had not played yet this season before Tuesday. Tapia hit .295/.461/.410 in 2022 in the Dominican Summer League.

Right-hander Patrick Copen, the Dodgers’ seventh-round draft pick this year out of Marshall, made his professional debut with a scoreless fourth inning. He allowing a leadoff single then got two groundouts, the first a 6-4-3 double play.

Transactions

Triple-A: After 17 home runs in his last 43 games for Oklahoma City, Michael Busch was called back up to the majors. That opened a spot for fellow 40-man roster infielder Jorbit Vivas.

Double-A: Catcher Hamlet Marte was placed on the temporary inactive list.

High-A: First baseman/outfielder Yunior Garcia was activated from the 60-day injured list after missing over three months. Garcia played 13 games in Arizona on a rehab assignment before returning to Great Lakes. 19-year-old Infielder Luis Guerra was sent to Arizona after 11 games with the Loons.

Arizona: Right-hander Blake Treinen started a rehab assignment.

Tuesday scores

• Albuquerque 9, Oklahoma City 6
• Tulsa 7, NW Arkansas 4
• Great Lakes 5, Fort Wayne 2
• Rancho Cucamonga 10, Lake Elsinore 1

Wednesday schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Adolfo Ramirez) vs. Fort Wayne (Henry Baez)
• 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Mike Montgomery) vs. Albuquerque (TBA)
• 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Kendall Williams) at NW Arkansas (Tyson Guerrero)
• 6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Jared Karros) vs. Lake Elsinore (Jose Reyes)