Milwaukee Catches Major Playoff Break

Blake Treinen's shoulder setback casts uncertainty over the Dodgers' bullpen strategy as they brace for a playoff run, with Treinen's future hanging in the balance.

Blake Treinen’s season is done, and the Dodgers have lost one of their most trusted late-inning arms at the worst possible time.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Treinen will not pitch again this year after the reliever hurt his shoulder while warming up in the bullpen Saturday in San Francisco. The injury comes only weeks after Treinen returned from a long stint on the injured list, giving the Dodgers another blow to a bullpen that was already thinning out as the postseason approaches.

Treinen, 38, had just worked his way back from inflammation in his right elbow, which kept him sidelined for all of July and August. Since coming off the injured list earlier this month, he made seven appearances and gave up three earned runs across 6.2 innings. He finishes the season 4-1 with a 3.64 ERA in 29.2 innings.

For the Dodgers, this one stings beyond the numbers. Treinen is one of the players who has been part of all three of the team’s World Series championships this decade, and he played a major role in last year’s title run. He threw 2.1 scoreless innings in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series and earned the win in the Dodgers’ championship-clinching victory over the New York Yankees.

The right-hander had been working mostly in a setup role and was striking out more than a batter per inning. His absence leaves Los Angeles with fewer late-game options as the team gets ready for October.

Treinen has been a key piece of the Dodgers’ bullpen since arriving in 2020. Across six seasons with Los Angeles, he has gone 23-20 with a 2.88 ERA in 222 regular-season games.

A free agent after the season, Treinen’s future is now cloudy. His age and injury history leave open the question of whether he’ll be back with the Dodgers or land somewhere else. In a career that began in 2014, he is 49-42 with a 2.94 ERA and 83 saves.

In Other News...

Wisconsin Just Sent The AP Poll Debate Into Overdrive

Wisconsins upset of No. 13 Penn State gave the Badgers a rsum win that immediately changed the conversation around the AP Top 25, even if it did not quite change the ranking itself. The latest poll left Wisconsin unranked, but the voters clearly noticed, with the Badgers collecting 102 points and sitting atop the received-votes list.

Now the path forward is simple enough, if not easy. A win over Michigan State next week, paired with a little help elsewhere, could finally push Wisconsin back into the rankings and turn a strong early statement into a spot among the APs top 25. [Read more 🡒]

Michigan State Enters Wisconsin Matchup With A Backfield Problem

Michigan State heads into its matchup with Wisconsin dealing with a sudden shift in the backfield after Cam Edwards suffered a knee injury against Nebraska and will miss the rest of the season, coach Pat Fitzgerald confirmed. Edwards had given the Spartans a steady early-season spark, piling up 304 rushing yards and three touchdowns before the injury forced the team to turn elsewhere.

Jaziun Patterson stepped in against Nebraska and now looks positioned to carry the load going forward, which changes the way Michigan State can try to attack a Wisconsin defense that is used to making opponents earn every yard. For the Badgers, it adds another layer to a game that was already going to be shaped by the trenches, and it puts a spotlight on how quickly Michigan State can adjust after losing its top option in the run game. [Read more 🡒]

Wisconsin Suddenly Has A Chance To Prove Penn State Was No Fluke

The win at Penn State changed the conversation around Wisconsin in a hurry. Beating the No. 13 Nittany Lions 24-20 at Beaver Stadium was no small road upset, and it was the Badgers first victory there since 2003. For a program looking to steady itself and build momentum, that kind of result carries real weight, especially when it comes in one of the more difficult road environments in the Big Ten.

Now the challenge is turning one eye-opening performance into something more durable. Wisconsin heads into the Michigan State matchup with the betting line tilted by more than 10 points in its favor, which says plenty about how the market views the Badgers after what happened in State College. The question is whether they can back it up with another convincing showing and make it clear the Penn State game was a sign of real progress, not a one-week spike. [Read more 🡒]