Emmet Sheehan was the pitcher added to the expanded Los Angeles Dodgers roster on the first day teams became permitted to carry 28 players. The Dodgers also selected the contract of Kolten Wong and outrighted Yonny Hernández to make room on their 40-man roster.
Sheehan is back up at the Major League level for a second time this season. The 23-year-old was called up from Double-A Tulsa to make his MLB debut against the San Francisco Giants on June 16.
Sheehan pitched his way into regular opportunities with the Dodgers, ultimately going 3-1 with a 5.63 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in eight games (seven starts).
His last appearance for the Dodgers came August 3 in the form of a four-inning save. Sheehan was optioned the following day as the corresponding move to Ryan Yarbrough joining the active roster after being acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Royals.
It was the nature of having Minor League options available and roster construction rather than indicative of performance. Sheehan piggybacked with Julio Urías in the early August game to take a burden off the Dodgers bullpen.
“Not all the time does our calculus work out, but this was sort of the hope coming into tonight,” manager Dave Roberts said at the time. “You’re going to have Evan (Phillips) and Joe (Kelly) with four days off, Brusdar (Graterol) with two or three days, Fergy (Caleb Ferguson) with three days off. Our guys will be ready to go for that series (against San Diego Padres).
“It’s a four-game series, a big series. Also, just to keep Emmet built up. He’s been a starter, so to have him built up if something unforeseen happens and we need length, we can still go to him.”
While with Oklahoma City, Sheehan has gone 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA in three games (one start). The inflated ERA is a byproduct of allowing five runs in just 1.2 innings pitched in a start last week. He was 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 12 games (10 starts) for the Drillers to begin the season.
The Dodgers selected Sheehan out of Boston College in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He quickly impressed and rose up the farm system, which included being on the Glendale Desert Dogs roster for the 2022 Arizona Fall League.
When will Emmet Sheehan pitch for Dodgers?
With Clayton Kershaw receiving extra rest before his next start, it left the Dodgers facing a need for Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Braves.
Sheehan is expected to factor prominently in the matchup, pitching bulk innings either as a starter or out of the bullpen. Sheehan will join Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller as prominent Dodgers pitching prospects to face the Braves this season.
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