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The Five-Step Roller Coaster: Why Lou Trivino's Dodgers Signing Lasted Just Two Months In 2025

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The Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2025 season was defined by a relentless pursuit of bullpen stability, a quest that led them to sign veteran right-hander Lou Trivino to a minor league deal in May. This move, which became official on May 10, 2025, was a calculated gamble on a high-leverage arm recovering from Tommy John surgery, aimed at shoring up a relief corps decimated by injuries. The signing and subsequent call-up provided one of the most intriguing, yet short-lived, bullpen experiments of the season, highlighting the high-risk, high-reward nature of acquiring veteran talent mid-comeback. The hope was that Trivino, known for his high-velocity sinker and splitter combination, could quickly return to his pre-injury form, offering a powerful bridge to the late innings. However, by the time the calendar turned to late July 2025, the Dodgers had released him, marking the end of a brief, intense two-month chapter in his comeback journey that saw him bounce from a minor league deal to the big-league roster and back to free agency before landing with his next club. This article breaks down the full 2025 timeline, from the initial signing to his eventual departure, and the context of the Dodgers' bullpen needs.

Lou Trivino: Complete Career and 2025 Comeback Profile

Lou Trivino, a veteran Major League Baseball relief pitcher, has built a career on a powerful fastball-splitter mix and a knack for generating ground balls. His 2025 season, however, became a complex saga of recovery, opportunity, and new beginnings across three different organizations.
  • Full Name: Louis Joseph Trivino
  • Born: October 28, 1991 (Age 34 as of late 2025)
  • Hometown: New Eagle, Pennsylvania
  • Draft: Selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 11th round of the 2013 MLB Draft.
  • MLB Debut: April 22, 2018, for the Oakland Athletics.
  • Primary Teams: Oakland Athletics (2018–2022), New York Yankees (2022).
  • Major Injury: Underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, sidelining him for the remainder of the 2023 season and into 2024.
  • 2025 Timeline:
    • Pre-Season: Signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants.
    • May 10, 2025: Signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
    • Mid-May 2025: Contract selected by the Dodgers, joining the MLB roster.
    • July 2025: Released by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
    • Late 2025: Signed with and was pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies, adding depth to their bullpen.
  • Career Highlights: Served as a closer for the Athletics and was a key high-leverage setup man for both Oakland and the Yankees.

The Desperate Bullpen Depth: Why the Dodgers Signed Trivino

The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2025 season with World Series aspirations, but their bullpen quickly became a major concern. By May, the team's depth was significantly challenged, creating a vacuum that an experienced arm like Trivino was perfectly positioned to fill.

A Bullpen in Distress

The primary impetus for the May 2025 signing was a wave of injuries that swept through the Dodgers’ high-leverage relief corps. Key setup men and closers, the very pitchers needed for the crucial 7th and 8th innings, were on the sidelines.
  • Brusdar Graterol: The hard-throwing reliever was dealing with injury issues.
  • Blake Treinen: Another veteran, known for his elite sinker, was unavailable.
  • Evan Phillips: The team’s primary closer was also dealing with a stint on the injured list.
With these essential arms unavailable, the Dodgers were forced to rely on less-proven options and overwork their remaining healthy relievers. The organization needed a veteran presence—someone who had pitched in high-stakes situations—to stabilize the middle innings and ease the burden on the remaining staff. The Dodgers’ farm system, specifically the Triple-A Oklahoma City affiliate, became the proving ground for potential reinforcements.

The Tommy John Comeback Gamble

Lou Trivino's minor league contract was a classic "buy-low" move. The Dodgers were betting that the right-hander, fully recovered from his 2023 Tommy John surgery, could regain his previous velocity and command. Trivino had been a solid, high-leverage reliever before the injury, posting a 3.86 ERA across 278 career appearances before the 2023 season. The initial minor league deal allowed the Dodgers to assess his progress at their Triple-A affiliate without committing a guaranteed spot on the 40-man roster. When he showed enough promise in a very short time, the club selected his contract just a week after signing him, adding him to the active roster to replace an injured Kirby Yates.

The Short Stint and Sudden Release: What Went Wrong?

Despite the initial optimism, Lou Trivino’s time on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ active roster was brief and ultimately unsuccessful. His tenure, which lasted approximately two months, failed to provide the consistent, high-leverage relief the team desperately needed.

Performance Struggles and Velocity Dip

While the specific statistics of his short 2025 Dodgers stint are crucial, the narrative suggests a struggle to consistently command his pitches and a potential dip in the velocity that made his sinker so effective. For a reliever coming off a major elbow reconstruction, regaining that elite velocity and movement is the final, and often most challenging, hurdle. The Dodgers’ management, known for their aggressive roster management, likely had a short leash for any reliever who couldn't immediately perform up to standard, especially given the team's championship focus. Trivino was effectively released after a stretch of appearances that suggested he was not yet fully a high-leverage arm. One report even noted his release came after three consecutive appearances, indicating the team's quick decision-making process.

A Business Decision

The release of Trivino in July 2025 was a purely transactional move driven by the team’s need for roster flexibility and performance. As injured relievers like Treinen and Phillips began to near their returns, the Dodgers had to make space on the 40-man roster. * Roster Crunch: The impending return of established veterans squeezed the available spots. * Performance: Trivino's results likely did not justify keeping him over other options, especially as the trade deadline approached and the team sought to optimize its final roster configuration. The move freed up a valuable roster spot, allowing the Dodgers to continue shuffling their bullpen to find the most effective combination for the stretch run.

Trivino's Next Chapter: Finding Success with the Phillies

The story of Lou Trivino's 2025 season did not end with his release from the Dodgers. In a testament to his perseverance and the continuous demand for veteran relief pitching, he quickly found a new home. Following his departure from Los Angeles, Trivino signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. This second chance proved to be a better fit, as he was eventually called up to the major league roster and began to pitch effectively, adding crucial depth to the Phillies’ bullpen. This journey—from a minor league deal with the Giants, to a major league shot with the Dodgers, and finally finding a stable role with the Phillies—perfectly encapsulates the volatile nature of a modern-day MLB comeback. The Dodgers' signing of Lou Trivino in May 2025 was a necessary, high-upside gamble that ultimately didn't pay off for them, but it provided the platform for Trivino to demonstrate his health and secure a spot in a major league bullpen for the remainder of the season. The brief signing remains a key footnote in the Dodgers' aggressive, mid-season attempt to solve their bullpen woes.
lou trivino dodgers signing
lou trivino dodgers signing

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