Blake Treinen Bio
Blake Michael Treinen is an American professional baseball relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics. Treinen played college baseball for the Baker Wildcats and South Dakota State Jackrabbits before the Athletics selected him in the seventh round of the 2011 MLB draft. He made his major league debut in 2014, was an All-Star in 2018, and has been part of three World Series championship teams.
Early Life and Background
When Blake Michael Treinen was two years old, he cut his thumb on glass, which required surgery, limited his range of motion, and later affected his grip on a baseball. He attended Osage City High School in Osage City, Kansas, where he played for the school’s baseball team as a freshman but quit during his sophomore year after developing prediabetes. He returned to the team in his junior year, throwing his fastball up to 79 miles per hour.
Treinen then enrolled at Baker University, where he played junior varsity college baseball for the Baker Wildcats in 2007. He transferred to the University of Arkansas in 2008 but was denied the opportunity to try out for the Arkansas Razorbacks, prompting him to increase his weight training. During Christmas break, he participated in a baseball training camp led by Don Czyz, a Minor League Baseball pitcher, who recommended him to South Dakota State Jackrabbits head coach Ritchie Price. After sitting out 2009 due to transfer rules, Treinen pitched for the Jackrabbits, with his fastball averaging 87 to 88 miles per hour. The Miami Marlins selected him in the 23rd round of the 2010 MLB draft, but an MRI revealed shoulder inflammation and the Marlins withdrew their offer. In his senior year at South Dakota State, he posted a 7-3 record with a 3.00 ERA, and his fastball reached 97 miles per hour.
Path to Major League Baseball
The Oakland Athletics selected Treinen in the seventh round of the 2011 MLB draft, and he signed for a $52,000 signing bonus. He called his 2012 season pitching for the Stockton Ports of the Class A-Advanced California League “subpar” and “mediocre,” posting a 4.37 ERA in 24 games, including 15 starts. In January 2013, the Athletics traded him to the Washington Nationals in a three-team deal that also sent A. J. Cole and Ian Krol to Washington, John Jaso to Oakland, and Michael Morse to the Seattle Mariners. With the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League in 2013, Treinen had a 3.64 ERA.
Blake Treinen Career
Washington Nationals (2014–2017)
The Nationals invited Treinen to spring training in 2014, where he impressed the coaching staff. He began the season with the Syracuse Chiefs of the Triple-A International League and was promoted to the major leagues on April 12. He earned his first career win on June 29, making a spot start against the Chicago Cubs and out-dueling Jeff Samardzija in a 7-2 win. During the 2014 season, Treinen appeared both as a starting pitcher and reliever, with his fastball reaching 98 miles per hour, and posted a 2.49 ERA in 15 major league games.
In 2015, Treinen started the year in the Nationals bullpen and reached 100 miles per hour with his sinker for the first time in his major league career. He finished with a 2-5 record, a 3.85 ERA, and 65 strikeouts. In 2016, he posted a 2.28 ERA and led the National League in groundballs induced with a 65.9 percent rate. He made his first playoff appearance that year, earning a win in Game 2 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Los Angeles Dodgers and taking the loss in Game 4. The Nationals named Treinen their closer to start the 2017 season, but on April 19, manager Dusty Baker removed him from the role after he posted a 7.11 ERA.
Oakland Athletics (2017–2019)
On July 16, 2017, the Nationals traded Treinen back to the Athletics, along with Sheldon Neuse and Jesús Luzardo. After converting 13 of 16 save opportunities following the trade, he emerged as a reliable late-inning arm. In the first half of the 2018 season, Treinen posted a 5-1 record with a 0.79 ERA and 23 saves, earning an All-Star selection. He finished 2018 with a 9-2 record, 38 saves, and a 0.78 ERA, but gave up three runs in the Wild Card Game, including a home run to Giancarlo Stanton. He won his salary arbitration case before the 2019 season, securing a $6.4 million salary.
On June 21, 2019, Treinen was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder injury and eventually lost the closer role to Liam Hendriks. He finished 2019 with a 6-5 record, a 4.91 ERA, 16 saves, and 59 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings, and was left off the team’s postseason roster. On December 2, 2019, Oakland non-tendered him, and he became a free agent.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2020–Present)
On December 15, 2019, Treinen signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2020, he appeared in 27 games with a 3.86 ERA and picked up a save in Game 5 of the World Series as the Dodgers won the championship in six games. In January 2021, the Dodgers re-signed him to a two-year, $17.5 million contract. He pitched in 72 games in 2021, with a 1.99 ERA, an MLB-best 32 holds, and 85 strikeouts.
A sore shoulder shut him down for much of 2022, and on November 11, 2022, he underwent right shoulder labrum and rotator cuff repair surgery, missing all of 2023. He suffered cracked ribs and a bruised lung in spring training in 2024 but returned to post a 1.93 ERA in 50 games. In the 2024 World Series, he earned two wins. On December 10, 2024, he signed a two-year, $22 million contract to remain with the Dodgers. He finished 2025 with a 2-7 record and a 5.40 ERA in 32 games and appeared in the 2025 NLDS, NLCS, and World Series, helping the Dodgers capture another championship.
Driving Style and Strengths
Treinen is known for a heavy sinker that generates exceptional movement and induces groundballs at a high rate, leading Rob Friedman of Pitching Ninja to nickname him “The Witch,” a moniker Treinen has said he disliked. His high-velocity fastball has reached 101 miles per hour, and he has thrived in late-inning leverage roles by keeping the ball on the ground and limiting hard contact.
Notable Events and Milestones
Treinen earned his first career win in 2014 against the Chicago Cubs, was named an All-Star in 2018, and has been part of three World Series championship teams with the Dodgers in 2020, 2024, and 2025. He set a record in September 2025 by taking the loss in five consecutive Dodgers defeats, a feat not accomplished in the majors since at least 1912.
Blake Treinen Career Wins
Blake Michael Treinen has compiled a strong track record as a reliever, with his most decorated stretch coming during the 2018 season when he finished with 38 saves and a 0.78 ERA. He has earned wins in each of his three World Series championship seasons with the Dodgers, contributing key appearances in 2020, 2024, and 2025.
Major League Highlights
Treinen recorded his first major league win on June 29, 2014, out-dueling Jeff Samardzija of the Chicago Cubs. His most recent postseason win came in the 2024 World Series, where he earned two victories. He has also collected wins in NLDS, NLCS, and World Series play, including a victory in Game 2 of the 2016 NLDS against the Dodgers.
Other Performances
With the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League in 2013, Treinen posted a 3.64 ERA. In the minors, he pitched for the Stockton Ports of the Class A-Advanced California League in 2012 and the Syracuse Chiefs of the Triple-A International League in 2014, establishing himself as a reliable arm before settling into a full-time major league role.
Blake Treinen Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Details about Blake Michael Treinen’s parents and extended family have not been publicly confirmed.
Personal Life
Treinen and his wife Kati have four children and live in Walla Walla, Washington. Kati serves as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Walla Walla Community College and played college basketball at Walla Walla and Boise State University. Treinen was a volunteer assistant coach for the Whitman College Blues baseball team in Walla Walla from 2015 to 2020. He is Roman Catholic, and his bulldog Maxx accompanied him on a road trip from Walla Walla to spring training in Florida in 2016.
2025 Season Performance
Blake Michael Treinen’s 2025 season was marked by injury setbacks and late-inning struggles. He earned his first loss and blown save of the year on April 6 and was placed on the injured list on April 19 due to forearm tightness before being transferred to the 60-day injured list on May 1. He rejoined the Dodgers on July 27 and finished the regular season with a 2-7 record and a 5.40 ERA in 26 2/3 innings over 32 games.
In September 2025, Treinen took the loss in five consecutive Dodgers defeats, a streak not accomplished in the majors since at least 1912. The run began on September 6, when he relieved Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had pitched 8 2/3 no-hit innings, and ended on September 21. Despite the late-season difficulties, he remained a trusted postseason arm, appearing in the 2025 NLDS, NLCS, and World Series as the Dodgers captured another championship.
Heading into 2026, Treinen remains under contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on the two-year, $22 million deal he signed in December 2024. The team will look for a return to his 2018 and 2021 form, when he posted sub-2.00 ERAs and anchored the late innings of a championship bullpen.