Blake Treinen out until ‘stretch run’ for Dodgers; Victor González set for elbow scope
CHICAGO — What started out as a seemingly minor shoulder injury for Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen has turned into a long-term absence, with manager Dave Roberts saying Sunday that the right-hander will be out until at least after the All-Star break.
Treinen has been out since April 14 because of shoulder inflammation. He had one set of MRI exams after the injury that didn’t reveal any structural damage but was scheduled to see a doctor Monday and have more scans taken.
However, that doctor visit likely won’t happen now, according to Roberts, who said Treinen is instead going to focus on rehabilitating his shoulder in hopes of returning to the mound later this season.
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“I just think he feels he’s just gonna rehab it and he doesn’t need any other opinions,” Roberts said. “It’s shoulder inflammation. And so now we’ve decided that we’re gonna rest it, strengthen it and get him back here.”
Roberts didn’t want to give a specific timetable for Treinen’s return but said the team is aiming to have him back for the stretch run of the season.
“His value for us is during the stretch run, whatever that means,” Roberts said. “So we’re going to take our time with him and do everything we can to make sure he’s ready for the second half of the season.”
Sunday was the latest development in an injury that was once believed to be short term.
Treinen said he initially felt some shoulder discomfort while playing catch before his April 14 outing against the Cincinnati Reds. During that outing, his velocity was down. And when the pain worsened afterward, he alerted the team that something was wrong.
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The Dodgers didn’t initially put Treinen on the injured list for several days, hoping he had just a minor ailment. But his shoulder failed to get better, culminating in a catch session last month in which it “just didn’t respond well,” Roberts said.
That’s when the Dodgers decided to shut Treinen down from throwing for a couple of weeks. He went on the injured list April 22.
Roberts, who on Saturday called Treinen the Dodgers’ “most valuable reliever,” said the team is taking a purposely conservative approach to his recovery.
“I think looking at the season and his value and the symptoms,” Roberts said, “we feel it’s the best way to handle it.”
Victor González will undergo surgery
Roberts had more pitching injury news Sunday.
Left-handed reliever Victor González is set to undergo an arthroscopic surgery — also known as a scope — on his elbow Wednesday to remove debridement. Roberts said González should be back at some point this season but that the team won’t know his exact timetable until after the procedure.
After a promising performance during spring training, González began suffering elbow inflammation and opened the season on the injured list. He was originally expected to return early this month.
Roberts said González suffered a setback during his rehab in Arizona.
“Sometimes when you get debridement in the elbow, it just inflames,” Roberts said.
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