The Dodgers got back to their winning ways Monday night with a 6-3 victory over the Reds, stretching their streak to five straight and pushing their record to 87-57. The night also offered a few more clues about where this team stands as the season tightens up: Emmet Sheehan looked sharp in his return, Shohei Ohtani spoke publicly for the first time in weeks, and Bobby Miller was sent down after his brief comeback.
Sheehan did the heavy lifting on the mound. The right-hander turned in one of his best outings of the season, piling up 10 strikeouts over 5.2 innings while allowing only one earned run on three hits. It came after a stretch in August where he was shuttled between the Dodgers and Triple-A Oklahoma City, but against Cincinnati he looked like a pitcher who belongs.
Los Angeles also got a big swing from Teoscar Hernández, who has been scorching at the plate. He went 2-for-4 and launched a three-run homer in the sixth, continuing a ridiculous stretch in which he’s batting .423 with nine RBIs over his last seven games. His blast came off the bat at 112.6 mph and helped open the game up for the Dodgers.
Ohtani was back in the lineup for the first time in five days after dealing with multiple nagging injuries, though he didn’t make much noise at the plate, finishing 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. More importantly, he addressed the pitching side of his future after not speaking publicly since Aug.
- The four-time MVP said it was “disappointing” that he likely won’t pitch again this season, but made clear where his focus sits now.
"The thing I was more focused on was to make sure that the pitching wouldn't cause the most worst scenario, which was for me to not be able to play at all," he said through interpreter Will Ireton.
After Sunday’s return to the mound - his first MLB action since May 2025 - Miller was optioned by the Dodgers before Monday’s game. The move opened the door for Sheehan’s recall, and that decision paid off quickly against the Reds.
There’s also a possible postseason wrinkle in the bullpen. Dave Roberts said the Dodgers could have a left-handed trade deadline acquisition - not named Tarik Skubal - available at some point in October. That pitcher is currently on the 60-day injured list, but Roberts made it clear the organization is intrigued by what he could bring.
“He’s a legitimate name,” Roberts said. “Proven starter, proven pitcher out of the ’pen, gets lefties out, righties out.
The stuff is playing right now. … I think that if there’s an opportunity that presents itself, us getting eyes on him would be important.”
Sheehan later said, “Felt good with execution; just trying to keep it going.”
The Dodgers’ night also featured a reminder of just how dangerous Hernández can be when he’s locked in - and how much this roster changes when Ohtani is back in the lineup, even if the bat doesn’t immediately do the talking.
In Other News...
Dodgers Prospects Last Move Before Leaving Said Plenty About This Shuffle
Jos Rodrguezs move out of the Dodgers system came on September 1, but the trail leading to the trade had already been telling a story about how this organization keeps recalibrating its pitching depth. Before changing hands with Toronto, Rodrguez had been working for Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he gave the Dodgers one more look at a live arm in the upper minors. For a team that constantly cycles through pitching inventory, even a brief stop like that can matter when the front office is sorting out who fits into the next wave.
Rodrguez then surfaced with Buffalo and worked a scoreless inning in his Blue Jays Triple-A debut, a small but notable first impression after the swap. The Dodgers, in turn, brought back right-hander Sebastian Rodriguez and sent him to their Dominican Summer League affiliate, another reminder that this was as much about rebalancing the pipeline as it was about the present day roster. Trades like this rarely grab headlines, but they can say plenty about where the Dodgers see value and how fluid the back end of the system really is. [Read more 🡒]
Mookie Betts Is Giving Dodgers Fans Another Reason To Watch Tuesday
Mookie Betts has been one of the Dodgers most dependable watch points all season, and he gives Los Angeles fans another reason to keep an eye on Tuesday night even with the action unfolding elsewhere. The broader baseball spotlight is shifting with Aaron Judge set to return to the Yankees after a rib injury, but Betts remains right in the thick of the home run conversation, with recent performance and matchup context giving him a strong case to produce again.
The appeal here is the kind of nightly variance that keeps fans tuning in, because Betts is not the only star drawing projection-based buzz. Pete Alonso is also in the mix in the same game of long-ball speculation, and the opposing pitchers on tap help explain why both hitters are being viewed as prime candidates to go deep. For Dodgers fans, it is another reminder that even when the headline is about someone else, Betts can still make the night feel like must-watch baseball. [Read more 🡒]
Shohei Ohtanis Dodgers Role Just Took A Major Turn
Shohei Ohtanis place in the Dodgers day-to-day plans has shifted in a significant way, with the two-way star now set to stay in the lineup as a designated hitter rather than return to the mound. He has not pitched since July 3, and both Dave Roberts and Ohtani have made clear that the focus moving forward is on keeping him in the role that has made him one of the sports most dangerous hitters.
The decision was reached together, with health and team needs driving the conversation. For the Dodgers, it simplifies a player usage puzzle that has hovered over the roster all season, even as it leaves open the bigger question of whether Ohtanis pitching days in Los Angeles are truly on hold, or something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]