The Los Angeles Dodgers just put their $22 million relief pitcher, Blake Treinen, on the injured list. Treinen pitched a scoreless game on Friday. But by Saturday, he was on the injured list (IL). He is the 15th Dodger player to get hurt, and 12 of them are pitchers.

“Blake Treinen is going on the IL with right elbow inflammation, per the Dodgers. Chayce McDermott will take his spot on the active roster,” an insider offered the latest update via social media. 

37-year-old Blake Treinen was great last Friday, helping the Dodgers record a 6-5 win against the Baltimore Orioles. There was no issue during or after the game. However, this Saturday, he was placed on a 15-day IL due to issues with the range of motion in his elbow. According to manager Dave Roberts, it was just wear and tear leading to an inflammation in his elbow. The imaging revealed no structural damage for Treinen. 

He is in his final year of a two-year, $22 million extension. The reliever has suffered many injuries since joining the LA side in 2020. His shoulder surgery kept him out for almost two years after just five games in 2022. He has missed games due to hip and forearm injuries in the last two seasons as well.

While this is the first time he is taking a trip to the IL this season, the situation is far worse for the team. The right-handed veteran has been quite effective (4-1) this season with a 3.52 ERA. He has one save and has held five more while striking out 25 batters over 23.0 innings.

Losing him is a bitter blow because the Dodgers have a huge pitching crisis. Last week, the team had 10 hurt pitchers. Now, that number has jumped up to 12. Key arms like Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Edwin Díaz, and Evan Phillips, among others, remain sidelined. 

Roberts and the team are trying their best to manage the bullpen effectively. And if you zoom out a bit, the overall numbers are incredible. The Dodgers are the second-best team in MLB with a 3.34 ERA. They are leading the majors with a .211 opposition batting average. 

But these numbers came through some tough decisions.

The Dodgers are thin on alternatives

Just days before Blake Treinen suffered an injury, the team’s biggest superstar, Shohei Ohtani, struggled with five hits and four runs during his start against the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite his poor outing and a bleeding blister in his pitching arm, the manager sent him to the mound for one more inning to reduce the pressure on the bullpen. 

This means that Treinen’s injury is adding more pressure to the already stretched rotation. And the Dodgers are thin on alternatives. 

The front office called up Chayce McDermott, who is a high-upside, high-strikeout pitcher. The right-hander recorded 39 Ks over 22.0 innings in the minors this season. He throws very fast, reaching up to 98 miles per hour. But McDermott also struggles with command and a high walk rate. He already allowed 19 walks this season. He walked 45 batters last season, which was better than the 60+ he walked in the three years before 2025.

But that is still not convincing enough. Especially with a 5.73 ERA in 2026.

The only good part is that Blake Treinen’s injury isn’t too serious. But the Dodgers need to survive his downtime before better reinforcements arrive. While their overall numbers are quite impressive, they need to ensure the same dominance in October to make it 3-in-a-row.