The Dodgers trusted him in the biggest moments.
Now, just days before Opening Day⌠even Dave Roberts canât hide the concern.

Dodgers Face Alarming Reality â Blake Treinenâs Confidence Collapse Raises Red Flags Before Opening Day
LOS ANGELES â This wasnât supposed to be a question.
Blake Treinen was supposed to be a solution.
A veteran arm.
A proven reliever.
A pitcher who had delivered in the biggest moments.
But now, with the 2026 season approaching fastâŚ
Something feels off.
And for the first time, the concern isnât just about performance.
Itâs about confidence.

âI Donât See Confidenceâ â Roberts Drops a Blunt Assessment
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didnât sugarcoat it.
âI donât see confidence.â
That single sentence changed the tone around Treinen instantly.
Because in baseball, mechanics can be fixed.
But confidence?
Thatâs harder.
And according to Roberts, itâs missing.
A Spring Thatâs Raising Alarms
The numbers tell part of the story.
Through six Cactus League appearances:
- 10.80 ERA
- 2.60 WHIP
- More walks (6) than strikeouts (4) in just 5 innings
But stats donât capture whatâs really happening.
Because this isnât just inconsistency.
Itâs instability.

The Moment That Changed Everything
The turning point came in a brutal outing against the Brewers.
Treinen entered with two runners on base.
What followed?
- Hit batter
- Immediate grand slam allowed
Just like thatâŚ
The game slipped.
And so did the confidence.

A Veteran Suddenly Searching for Answers
This is the same pitcher who once thrived under pressure.
A reliever trusted in high-stakes situations.
A key piece of the Dodgersâ bullpen identity.
Now?
Heâs fighting something far less visible.
Execution issues.
Command problems.
And, most concerning â hesitation.

âNo Convictionâ â The Deeper Problem
Roberts pointed to something more subtle, but more serious:
âThereâs no conviction.â
That means:
- Pitches arenât being thrown with intent
- Decisions arenât being trusted
- Doubt is creeping into every delivery
And at the MLB level, hesitation gets punished instantly.

Last Seasonâs Struggles Still Linger
This didnât start in spring.
Treinenâs 2025 season already raised concerns:
- 5.40 ERA
- 1.84 WHIP
- Career-worst 6.4 walks per nine innings
Injuries disrupted his rhythm.
Consistency never returned.
And now, those issues appear to be carrying over.
Health Isnât the Issue â Which Makes It Worse
Hereâs what makes this situation more unsettling:
Treinen is healthy.
No restrictions.
No lingering injury concerns.
And yet, the results havenât improved.
Which raises a difficult question:
If itâs not physical⌠what is it?
A Race Against Time
The Dodgers donât have the luxury of waiting.
Treinen likely has one or two more outings before Opening Day.
Thatâs it.
No long adjustment period.
No extended reset.
Just a narrow window to prove heâs ready.
Still Belief â But Growing Urgency
Despite the struggles, Roberts hasnât given up.
âHeâs done so much for us⌠heâs been dependable.â
That history matters.
But baseball is unforgiving.
Past performance doesnât guarantee present results.
Treinenâs Own Confidence â A Different Story
Interestingly, Treinen himself doesnât seem shaken.
Earlier this spring, he insisted:
He still believes he can pitch at a high level.
And Roberts has echoed that belief in the past:
âThereâs a lot in the tank.â
But belief alone isnât enough.
Not when results say otherwise.
A Bullpen Question No One Expected
Coming into 2026, the Dodgersâ bullpen wasnât supposed to be a concern.
Now?
One of its most trusted arms has become a question mark.
And not just any question.
A critical one.
What Happens If He Doesnât Turn It Around?
If Treinen canât rediscover his form quickly:
- Roles may shift
- Pressure will increase on other relievers
- The bullpenâs reliability could take a hit early
For a team with championship expectationsâŚ
Thatâs a dangerous situation.
One Final Thought
Blake Treinen has proven who he is.
But right now, that version of him hasnât shown up.
And with Opening Day closing inâŚ
The Dodgers arenât just waiting for results.
Theyâre waiting for belief to return.
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