The Los Angeles Dodgers have dealt with many injuries this season, which has mainly affected their pitching staff, but they appear closer to getting reinforcements.
On Saturday, Andrew Heaney was throwing in the outfield prior to the Dodgers’ game against the San Diego Padres, and all went well with that session.
He took the next step by throwing a bullpen session on Tuesday, and all indications were it represented another positive step forward.
“I haven’t talked to him since I saw it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The ball is coming out well. It was fastball, slider. I think he was right around 30 pitches.
“As far as the next progression, certainly there’s another bullpen, there’s facing hitters, and then we’ll talk about potentially starting. So I think he’s still a ways down the road.”
While the Dodgers hoped Heaney would only miss three starts originally, it now looks like he’ll be missing four or five outings instead after the rehab assignment he’ll need to go on.
“Yeah, I mean, I think that you can kind of get guys asking questions,” Roberts said about the timeline change. “So you’re trying to give them what you know at that moment in time.
“And things happen where you have to slow play it and you got to get them through the progression. If he doesn’t feel great, then you got to kick the can. And so I think that right now, yeah, on the outset, it was we were hoping it’d be three starts he misses, but you know, obviously, it doesn’t look that way.”
Heaney has given up just one earned run across 15.1 innings in his three starts this season.
Blake Treinen progressing, but Dodgers don’t have timeline
Blake Treinen has also been out for most of the season with a right shoulder issue. There was originally hope he would return from his 10-day injured list stint quickly, but that hope then turned into the possibility he could miss the rest of the year.
However, the Dodgers have maintained their relief ace will return this season, and Treinen took another step forward by throwing off a mound on Monday and it was actually sooner than his manager expected.
“Blake was off the mound yesterday, and it was pretty dang good,” Roberts said. “I think it was fastball, cutter, slider. And so I think he was around 30 pitches. So today he just played catch.
“So that’s ahead of where I initially I thought he was as far as getting off the mound. So that was really encouraging.”
There’s still no timeline for Treinen to return, but the Dodgers are being extra cautious to make sure they can get him back for the stretch run.
“I think with Blake, he’s just so valuable to our ballclub,” Roberts said. “So I just think that we feel like we have one bullet to get him back and do it right. So to be prudent and take our time with it. I just don’t see how it’s before August, the floor. So that’s all I’ll give you.”
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