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

Dodgers Face Alarming Reality ā Blake Treinenās Confidence Collapse Raises Red Flags Before Opening Day
LOS ANGELES ā This wasnāt 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 fastā¦
Something feels off.
And for the first time, the concern isnāt just about performance.
Itās about confidence.

āI Donāt See Confidenceā ā Roberts Drops a Blunt Assessment
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didnāt sugarcoat it.
āI donāt see confidence.ā
That single sentence changed the tone around Treinen instantly.
Because in baseball, mechanics can be fixed.
But confidence?
Thatās harder.
And according to Roberts, itās missing.
A Spring Thatās 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 donāt capture whatās really happening.
Because this isnāt just inconsistency.
Itās 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 thatā¦
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 Dodgersā bullpen identity.
Now?
Heās fighting something far less visible.
Execution issues.
Command problems.
And, most concerning ā hesitation.

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

Last Seasonās Struggles Still Linger
This didnāt start in spring.
Treinenās 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 Isnāt the Issue ā Which Makes It Worse
Hereās what makes this situation more unsettling:
Treinen is healthy.
No restrictions.
No lingering injury concerns.
And yet, the results havenāt improved.
Which raises a difficult question:
If itās not physical⦠what is it?
A Race Against Time
The Dodgers donāt have the luxury of waiting.
Treinen likely has one or two more outings before Opening Day.
Thatās it.
No long adjustment period.
No extended reset.
Just a narrow window to prove heās ready.
Still Belief ā But Growing Urgency
Despite the struggles, Roberts hasnāt given up.
āHeās done so much for us⦠heās been dependable.ā
That history matters.
But baseball is unforgiving.
Past performance doesnāt guarantee present results.
Treinenās Own Confidence ā A Different Story
Interestingly, Treinen himself doesnāt 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:
āThereās a lot in the tank.ā
But belief alone isnāt enough.
Not when results say otherwise.
A Bullpen Question No One Expected
Coming into 2026, the Dodgersā bullpen wasnāt 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 Doesnāt Turn It Around?
If Treinen canāt rediscover his form quickly:
- Roles may shift
- Pressure will increase on other relievers
- The bullpenās reliability could take a hit early
For a team with championship expectationsā¦
Thatās a dangerous situation.
One Final Thought
Blake Treinen has proven who he is.
But right now, that version of him hasnāt shown up.
And with Opening Day closing inā¦
The Dodgers arenāt just waiting for results.
Theyāre waiting for belief to return.
Leave a Reply