Emmet Sheehan’s late-season surge has put him back in the conversation for the Dodgers’ postseason roster, even if his regular-season role is on pause for now.
The right-hander was sent to the minors at the start of August after Tarik Skubal arrived and Sheehan hit a rough patch. Before that move, he was sitting on a 5.29 ERA and had just given up five earned runs in 2.2 innings.
The reset in Triple-A did the trick. Over 18 innings there, Sheehan allowed only three earned runs, then returned in the middle of September and has looked far sharper since.
In three outings back, he owns a 0.53 ERA across 17 innings with 24 strikeouts. On Sunday, he worked 5.1 scoreless innings in relief, struck out nine, and allowed just one hit and one walk.
For the season, Sheehan now has a 4.57 ERA over 112.1 innings with 132 strikeouts.
“I feel like I’m in a much better spot now,” Sheehan told Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez and reporters. “Whatever role they want me to do going forward, I’m ready to do it. It was nice to get that experience coming out of the pen, and I’m ready to go.”
The Dodgers are sending him back to Triple-A to keep the bullpen fresh as they chase the No. 2 seed in the NL, but that move doesn’t shut the door on October. He can still be part of the postseason picture, and his versatility is exactly what gives him a real shot.
Sheehan has spent most of this season as a starter, but his first relief appearance of the year came Sunday, and that might be the role that sticks if he makes the roster in October. Los Angeles already has a four-man rotation lined up with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Skubal all healthy and expected to start in the postseason.
That leaves bullpen depth, and Sheehan profiles as a long-relief option who could become the Dodgers’ first choice in those situations. Landon Knack and Bobby Miller have handled those duties lately, but Sheehan’s recent form could give him the edge.
The Dodgers can carry a maximum of 13 pitchers in the postseason, and Sheehan should be in that mix because of what he can offer out of the bullpen. He also has last year’s postseason bullpen experience behind him, even if it wasn’t especially effective.
Now, with a stronger September in hand, he’ll be hoping that’s enough to earn another October call. He won’t pitch again in the regular season because of the minimum 15-day stay in the minors, unless an injury forces a recall.
In Other News...
Dodgers Just Got An October Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Dodgers got a familiar September jolt with two important reinforcements coming off the injured list as the club heads into the final week of the regular season. Dave Roberts said right-hander Tyler Glasnow is healthy and ready to help when October arrives, a welcome development for a team that has spent much of the year trying to keep its pitching group intact for the stretch run.
Los Angeles also had to make room on the roster by sending two players back down, another reminder of how quickly the picture can change at this time of year. Beyond the immediate playoff implications, there is already some offseason intrigue swirling around the Dodgers, with ESPNs Jeff Passan reporting that pitcher Tarik Skubal could be in line for a massive free-agent deal this winter, a detail that will only add to the teams long-term planning conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Just Got A New Reason To Watch Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal showed up at SoFi Stadium on Monday night with another Dodgers star in tow, as he and Mookie Betts took in the Rams-Giants matchup. Skubal was down at field level while Betts watched from a suite that also included Myles Garrett and Aaron Donalds wife, a small but notable reminder that the Dodgers biggest names do not exactly disappear when the baseball schedule pauses.
For Los Angeles, Skubals appearance comes at an interesting moment. He was recently placed on the Dodgers bereavement list and is currently expected to start the final regular-season game, though that could still change. Even with the season winding down, the Dodgers are keeping an eye on anything that might affect the rotation, and a night out around the NFL only added another layer to the intrigue around Skubals week. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Letting Ryan Ward Go Took An Unexpected Turn
Ryan Wards exit from the Dodgers organization moved quickly. Just six days after being designated for assignment, he agreed to a contract with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball, ending a run that had kept him in the Dodgers system for his entire professional career. It was a familiar kind of roster churn for this time of year, but the destination made the move stand out.
For the Dodgers, Wards recent minor league production had already made his standing uncertain, and the roster rules created an unusual layer to his departure. He was only eligible to play for the Dodgers in the 2026 postseason, which meant Los Angeles still had some control over his future in a narrow sense, even as the organization opened the door for him to continue his career abroad. [Read more 🡒]