Dodgers activate veteran reliever Blake Treinen

It’s a procedural move to create a roster spot for starter Blake Snell. The 38-year-old veteran reliever has been out with elbow inflammation since late June. He’ll be on the shelf until at least late August.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated that Treinen likely won’t require more than a minimum stay on the injured list with elbow inflammation. It’s an encouraging update after the 37-year-old hit the shelf earlier this weekend.

It was certainly going to happen at some point; Treinen hasn’t pitched 50 innings in a season since 2019 or 60 innings since 2018. He’ll get a break now and probably another one later on, as the Dodgers will want him in peak form in October.

Tanner Scott was due for a night off after working Saturday and Sunday, so the Dodgers opted to mix and match tonight. They probably didn’t need to take out Alex Vesia with one on and two out in the ninth in order to achieve their desired outcome, but they did so anyway. It’s Treinen’s first save this year and 83rd lifetime. He has a 3.24 ERA in 16 2/3 innings over 21 appearances.

Roberts refused to name a set closer but did speculate that Scott might get the most save opportunities. The 31-year-old lefty has gotten off to an excellent start this season and has had success in the ninth inning at previous stops. It’s possible Alex Vesia or Blake Treinen will vulture the occasional save chance, but Scott appears in line to take over the closing role until Díaz returns from elbow surgery in the second half of the year.

It’s a significant loss for the Dodgers, and fantasy managers, with Díaz sidelined until after the All-Star break in mid-July, according to a team statement. The 32-year-old closer was diagnosed with loose bodies in his throwing elbow after experiencing diminished velocity during a relief appearance against the Rockies over the weekend and was placed on the injured list Monday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts refused to name a replacement, which means it will likely be a combination of Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen handling closing duties in his absence. Scott, who boasts a 1.04 ERA this season and has converted 78 career saves, stands out as the strongest fantasy option of the trio.

The Dodgers believe that Treinen is ok, but they’ll take no chances and have the 37-year-old undergo testing. There should be a status update on Treinen before the conclusion of Saturday’s contest.

Sasaki dealt with some diminished velocity during Monday’s series-opening win in Milwaukee, which was ultimately finished off by veteran Blake Treinen, who was summoned to record the final out of the ninth inning of a one-run ballgame. All eyes will be on the 23-year-old phenom’s velocity when he gets back in a high-leverage spot for Los Angeles. He was an unexpected revelation for the Dodgers in his first couple playoff outings prior to Monday’s unexpected speed bump. It’ll likely be Treinen or lefty Alex Vesia handling a potential save situation in Game 2.

Treinen was summoned to protect a one-run advantage with the potential tying and winning runs on-base after Roki Sasaki was unable to slam the door. The 37-year-old high-leverage specialist walked William Contreras to load the bases before striking out Brice Turang to preserve the victory.

Sasaki was summoned to attempt to slam the door on the Phillies in the ninth with Los Angeles clinging to a one-run lead after Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia were unable to get the job done. The hard-throwing 23-year-old phenom coaxed a game-ending ground out from Trea Turner to allow the Dodgers to narrowly escape and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. He’s been a revelation since returning to the big leagues and appears to be firmly entrenched as the Dodgers’ primary closer for the rest of the postseason.