Dodgers’ Blake Treinen diagnosed with ‘low-grade sprain’ of forearm

ARLINGTON, Texas — Blake Treinen underwent an MRI on Saturday, which revealed a “low-grade sprain of the forearm,” according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Treinen will return to Los Angeles for an “assessment” of how long he might be sidelined, but Roberts characterized it as positive news.

“Certainly dodged a bullet,” Roberts said. “He was one hitter away as he was warming up to go into the game. Obviously, if he were to pitch, it could have been potentially worse. So I would say we’re in the dodged-a-bullet category.”

The plan for now is to have Treinen rest and rehab until he is examined back in Los Angeles and a more specific treatment plan.

The veteran reliever felt discomfort in his forearm after pitching an inning against the Chicago Cubs last Sunday. The Dodgers did not use him during their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies this week, hoping the rest would be enough to alleviate the problem.

But Treinen felt pain in his forearm again Friday night as he was warming up to enter the game.

WEDNESDAY PLAN

Right-hander Dustin May will start the opener of the Dodgers’ two-game series at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki will stay on their once-a-week schedule and will not pitch until Friday and Saturday when the Dodgers return home.

That means the Dodgers will need a spot starter for Wednesday’s game against the Cubs. They have used Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski and Bobby Miller as spot starters already this season. They won three of the four games that trio started – despite them allowing 21 runs over 14 ⅔ innings in those starts.

Against the Cubs, the Dodgers will “piece it together” with a bullpen game, Roberts said.

The Dodgers have off days on both sides of the two-game series in Chicago (Monday and Thursday), allowing the bullpen to re-set after potentially heavy usage.

YAMAMOTO SHOULDER

The Dodgers remain committed to giving Yamamoto extra rest between starts. But Roberts has left him in for over 100 pitches in each of his past two starts – six innings against the Cubs, seven against the Rangers.

A year ago, the Dodgers did not let him throw over 100 pitches in a game until his 12th and 13th starts of the season in early June. After his MLB career-high 106-pitch effort against the Yankees, he went on the Injured List for almost three months with a strained rotator cuff.

Roberts’ willingness to extend Yamamoto’s pitch count early in the season is a sign that the Dodgers are confident last year’s shoulder issue is not a concern this year.

“I think that that’s past us,” Roberts said. “Just talking to (pitching coach) Mark Prior and the training staff, feeling like his body’s in a good place so we can push him a little bit and I have. Last year, being more mindful in trying to get his feet under him and build the confidence. But right now I just feel like I can let him go.”

ALSO

Shohei Ohtani rejoined the team on Sunday and was activated from the paternity list. He declined to speak with the media. In order to clear a spot on the roster for Ohtani’s return, the Dodgers designated Eddie Rosario for assignment. Rosario went 1 for 4 in two games at DH this weekend.

UP NEXT

The Dodgers are off Monday.

Dodgers (RHP Dustin May, 1-1, 1.06 ERA) at Cubs (TBA), Tuesday 4:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM