Blake Treinen out for Dodgers' 2026 postseason with shoulder injury

Blake Treinen will not be part of the Dodgers' postseason bullpen after sustaining a shoulder injury, MLB.com's Sonja Chen reported. The right-hander's absence removes a relief option from a Los Angeles club that enters October having already navigated a crowded injury ledger.

What happened

Per Sonja Chen's report for MLB.com, Treinen has a shoulder injury that takes him out of consideration for the Dodgers' playoff relief corps. The report does not specify a diagnosis, a timeline for recovery, or whether Treinen is currently on the injured list.

Why it matters

Bullpen construction is one of the more consequential puzzles a postseason club assembles, and losing a piece before the bracket even opens forces the front office to reconfigure its options. The Dodgers enter October with a first-round bye after clinching a Top 2 seed in the NL — context reported earlier this week — which provides some additional preparation time, but it does not change the fact that Treinen is no longer in the mix.

The injury news arrives against a backdrop of other health questions in the organization. Freddie Freeman has been playing through patellar tendinitis in his right knee, a situation that has coincided with a notable power outage as the postseason approaches, per earlier Posterior reporting. On the more encouraging side, Shohei Ohtani was activated from the injured list and recorded a single in his first at-bat back, a development reported earlier this week that nudged the club closer to full strength. The Treinen news is a step in the opposite direction.

Where the club stands

Los Angeles carries a 99-62 record (.615), sits first in the NL West, and enters Sunday's road game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on a two-game winning streak. The first-round bye means the Dodgers will not play in the Wild Card round, giving the roster and coaching staff additional days to sort out the bullpen picture before the Division Series.

What we don't know yet

The report does not include a diagnosis, a timetable, or any indication of whether Treinen could be available in a later round should the Dodgers advance deep into October. It is also not yet clear how the club intends to fill the vacancy on its postseason roster, or which relievers move up in the depth order as a result.

What to watch

The Dodgers' postseason roster construction now becomes the central question. With Treinen unavailable and Freeman managing a knee issue, the club's decisions around its 26-man postseason roster — and any late additions from the September group — will draw close attention between now and the start of the Division Series. Josue De Paula, optioned to Triple-A after his MLB debut per earlier reporting, was noted as a potential NLDS callup candidate, which illustrates how fluidly the roster picture can shift in these final days of the regular season.