After 13 months on the shelf recovering from Tommy John surgery, Emmet Sheehan is on the verge of returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting rotation. According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, the club is planning to activate the 25-year-old right-hander from the 60-day injured list as early as this week, pending a final bullpen session.
His addition could not come at a better time.
The Dodgers have been hit hard by injuries, with 14 pitchers currently on the injured list and little consistency behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May, and the soon-returning Clayton Kershaw. In recent weeks, the team has had to stretch relievers like Ben Casparius into starter roles due to a lack of reliable alternatives. Depth arms such as Bobby Miller, Landon Knack, and Justin Wrobleski have struggled to fill the void.
Los Angeles Dodgers to Activate Emmet Sheehan Amid Rotation Woes
Sheehan, though far from a sure thing, offers a more proven option. In 11 major league starts last season, the righty posted a 5.23 ERA overall, but flashed considerable promise in his final seven outings—delivering a 3.19 ERA with 42 strikeouts and just 10 walks. His MLB debut, six no-hit innings against the Giants, hinted at a ceiling the Dodgers still believe in.
This year, Sheehan has made four rehab appearances, splitting time between the Arizona Complex League and Triple-A. Across 11 1/3 total innings, he’s struck out 16 batters while walking just one. Notably, he allowed no hits or runs in two appearances in Arizona before moving up to Triple-A, where he continued to miss bats at a high clip. While his 3.97 ERA on the rehab trail may not jump off the page, the underlying numbers are strong: he’s fanned nearly 45% of opposing hitters and looked increasingly sharp as his pitch count has built up, reaching 63 in his most recent outing.
Still, the Dodgers are likely to be cautious with Sheehan’s reintegration. Given his workload and the long layoff, the team could choose to pair him with an opener or piggyback him with another arm, such as Matt Sauer or Wrobleski, to ease him back into a full starter’s role.
Even so, Sheehan’s return is a timely boost for a Dodgers rotation searching for answers. Once a rising piece of the 2024 pitching puzzle, he now has a chance to reassert himself in the big leagues and help stabilize a staff that needs him more than ever.