Saturday, March 9, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
Coming into spring training, the Dodgers expected Emmet Sheehan to compete for the fifth spot in their starting rotation. This spring Sheehan, 24, couldn’t pitch in the Cactus League because of body soreness. Now, he has shoulder soreness. Dave Roberts announced on Saturday Sheehan will begin the season on the IL.
Last year, Sheehan made his major league debut against the San Francisco Giants in June and dazzled. He had an up and down season since he wasn’t ready for the major leagues. The Dodgers were forced to rush Sheehan to Los Angeles since they had a record-setting number of injuries. In the NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sheehan performed well in relief of Clayton Kershaw.
Michael Grove and Ryan Yarbrough will fight for the fifth spot in the rotation, but the Dodgers don’t need a fifth starter until April. Both Grove and Yarbrough have good spring training.