Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen could miss 2023 after shoulder surgery
After missing most of the 2022 season with shoulder problems, Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen is in danger of missing all of the 2023 campaign.
The pitcher underwent right shoulder surgery, the team announced Friday, to repair his labrum and rotator cuff, a procedure that comes with roughly a 10-month rehab and leaves Treinen’s status for the upcoming campaign in doubt.
The surgery was performed by team doctor Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Last season, Treinen appeared in only five games for the Dodgers because of shoulder trouble.
In April, he went on the injured list with what was later revealed to be a partial tear of his shoulder capsule. That injury nearly required season-ending surgery, but it healed in time for the 34-year-old to attempt a non-surgical rehab that kept his season alive.
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Treinen finally returned to game action in late August. The Dodgers were hoping he could bolster their bullpen for the stretch run.
Instead, after two more appearances, Treinen landed back on the injured list with shoulder discomfort. He returned for the playoffs, but pitched in only one game of the Dodgers’ National League Division Series loss to the San Diego Padres.
His shoulder issues weren’t over, either.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said this week that the team and Treinen talked through the pitcher’s medical options entering the offseason.
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After Treinen’s first injury this summer, he and the Dodgers agreed to a contract extension that seemed to hint at the potential for a long-term absence.
The one-year extension was worth $8 million, which essentially guaranteed Treinen’s 2023 club option with the Dodgers. But it also included a conditional option for 2024, in which the pitcher’s potential compensation for 2024 would be based on time missed for injuries.
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