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Emmet Sheehan is latest rookie starter to join Dodgers’ youth movement

June 17, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wondered aloud when the team last had as many young arms in their starting rotation as they did on Friday, when Emmet Sheehan was promoted from Double-A Tulsa to start against the San Francisco Giants.

The answer: 2016, Roberts’ first season as manager, when Julio Urías, Ross Stripling, Brock Stewart and Jose DeLeon all got their first major league call-ups. Kenta Maeda – technically a rookie at age 27 – led that year’s staff in innings and starts.

Sheehan, 23, became the Dodgers’ third rookie starter to make his major league debut since the beginning of this season, joining 24-year-olds Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller. And while the blonde-haired right-hander never made a start at Triple-A prior to his debut, the Dodgers felt better about promoting Sheehan than deploying a bullpen game against the Giants one day after an 11-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox.

“Not to take anything away from Triple-A, but I would argue the Double-A talent is just like Triple-A now,” Roberts said. “Organizations are promoting a lot more younger players these days. Certainly, the Triple-A player is more advanced experience-wise. Our Double-A staff this year was as talented as any staff around in baseball.”

Sheehan was 4-1 in 12 games (10 starts) this season with a 1.86 ERA. The Dodgers’ sixth-round draft pick in 2021 out of Boston College, he struck out 88 batters and walked 23 in 53⅓ innings.

The Dodgers promoted Michael Grove directly from Double-A Tulsa to make his major league debut in 2022. Coincidentally, Grove was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Sheehan on the active roster.

“I think you learn different things at each level,” Grove said. “Obviously every pitching coach is different. The message is the same, but guys have different ways they go about it. Double-A, I feel like, is more about developing your arsenal. Triple-A is more learning how to pitch, I would say. … Against the best hitters in the world, you have to have good stuff and know how to pitch.”

If Sheehan clears that bar, his time in the rotation could last beyond one start. Roberts said “it looks like” he will get at least two turns through the rotation no matter what, setting the stage for Sheehan to start again next week against the Angels or the Houston Astros.

Injuries to Urías and Dustin May have forced the Dodgers to scramble to fill two of their five rotation spots this month. On Thursday, Roberts said the Dodgers planned to throw a bullpen game at the Giants. Along with Sheehan’s potential, the element of surprise could not be ignored.

In April 2016, Stripling made his debut in San Francisco and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Giants.

“This is an opportunity for young guys to show they can pitch at this level,” Roberts said. “We’re trying to find innings and win ball games right now. It’s more of, who can help us right now and develop on the fly?”

MUNCY LANDS ON INJURED LIST

The hamstring injury that knocked Max Muncy out of the Dodgers’ series against the Chicago White Sox will keep him out of the lineup for another week. Muncy was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday and Michael Busch was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Muncy can be activated as early as next Friday’s game against the Astros. Roberts said Muncy is able to hit, but the third baseman has been unable to run at full speed since suffering the injury on Sunday.

Chris Taylor started at third base against the Giants and will share time at the position with Busch going forward. Busch is batting .211 (4 for 19) in seven games with the Dodgers and .313 in 45 games with Oklahoma City.