“My trust in him is unwavering,” Dave Roberts, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ skipper, said of Blake Treinen- the $22 million right-hander. And honestly, given his struggles not just this month but the whole year, that statement is difficult to swallow. But, well, that trust of the skipper just turned into water running off a duck’s back thanks to Emmet Sheehan’s dominant performance being wasted.

Against the Giants, Sheehan was lights-out. He just gave up one hit and zero runs across seven innings while striking out ten. He retired 15 straight batters—and it was a masterclass, and the Dodgers should have been able to seal the game. But then, a move that no one saw coming. For reasons unknown that maybe only Roberts can understand, Sheehan was pulled for Treinen in the eighth inning. And then, just as expected, disaster happened.

Treinen entered a one-run game, and immediately, things went downhill. An infield single, a single, and then a double tied the game. An intentional walk and a free pass forced in the go-ahead run. By the time he finally got out of the game, the Giants were up 3-1, and by the end, the Dodgers were left wondering how the game they had in their hands simply evaporated. And insiders and fans are laying the blame on Dave Roberts, plain and simple.

The Dodgers Digest host Brad Jay blamed Roberts, “I always have Dave Roberts’ back a lot of the times, but I’ll tell you right now, this one, this loss, is definitely on Dave… Sheehan pitches lights out. The game looks solid. We got a one-run lead. Yeah, the Dodgers didn’t hit for squat. Seven hits in the game. But Blake Trident comes in to preserve the lead in the eighth inning and just blows it right there.” He added, “And if Dave Roberts did not send him out there and would have played for the win yesterday, the Dodgers would have had a win and their magic number would have been down to two. But because of Dave Roberts trying to build the confidence of Blake Treinen, that cost the Dodgers a win.” 

It is surprising that so late in the season and in this stretch that Dave Roberts would do that. Because it’s not like Blake Treinen’s slump is a recent phenomenon. Trident has been giving up hits to seven, eight, and nine all season long when he comes in. It doesn’t matter what the lineup is. He’s given hits to guys that haven’t had hits in days. September 2025 has been anything but kind to him, and his 5.55 ERA this month is nearly double his career number, which is 2.86. Treinen of today is far from the player he was last postseason. No matter his performance now, one can’t discount his role in last season’s Dodgers win.

He had posted a 2.19 ERA with 18 strikeouts across nine appearances last postseason. So maybe this stat is what Roberts might be holding on to. But it is a rather precarious position to be in as the playoff looms. The bottom line is that the Dodgers are loaded with talent and championship potential, but this nightmare run highlights the dangers of loyalty taking over logic in high-stakes baseball games. As for Treinin, this might have been his last chance to prove himself. Because arms are incoming!

Will Blake Treinen keep his spot in the Dodgers’ postseason bullpen?

Blake Treinen might have run out of chances, given his last outing. Plus, it doesn’t help that now the Dodgers have Roki Sasaki, Brock Stewart, and possibly even Kyle Hurt joining the team. This gives LA the chance to reset its struggling bullpen before the postseason kicks in. Now, there is no secret that hype-man Sasaki has had a frustrating debut with the Dodgers.

Although Sasaki started strong, the 23-year-old didn’t translate it into big success. Early in the season, he struggled with control issues, and his fastball velocity dipped into the low to mid-90s, far below the triple-digit numbers he is known for. In 31⅓ ⅓ innings, he posted a 4.72 ERA and a 6.20 FIP. Then Sasaki landed in the 60-day IL with a right shoulder impingement. But well, that was then, and things seem to have taken a good turn. Sasaki’s recent Triple-A rehab outings with Oklahoma City seem to show flashes of the player scouts saw back in Japan.

In his last two relief appearances, he threw clean scoreless innings while hitting upper-90s velocity. He even touched triple digits once. He struck out batters, even induced weak contact, and looked great. For a Dodgers team that is looking for stability in terms of bullpen arms, this is a reminder of what Sasaki can do when he is healthy and, yes, even confident.

Meanwhile, Stewart is also nearing his activation after an injury had sidelined him early in August. In three rehab appearances, he has allowed just unearned runs and shown enough control that he could get himself a spot in the Dodgers’ playoff bullpen. Meanwhile, Kyle Hurt, who is fresh off the Tommy John surgery, also closed his rehab assignment with an eye-watering 1.93 ERA over 9.1 innings. So with three arms ready to step in, Treinen’s spot is far from guaranteed.