Emmet

Sheehan

When Tyler Glasnow was inserted back into the starting rotation, there was an initial thought that Shohei Ohtani would not pitch until after the All-Star break. Dave Roberts confirmed on Wednesday that Ohtani would instead start on Saturday against the Giants with Emmett Sheehan following him. Ohtani should expect to pitch about two innings, and Sheehan could have plenty of fantasy value in a follower role.

Sheehan allowed five hits, walked one and struck out four in his second major league start this season. He’ll be rather interesting in mixed leagues if he gets to keep his spot, though with Tyler Glasnow returning later this week and Blake Snell likely back soon after the All-Star break, Sheehan might continue to get shuffled around between Triple-A and the majors.

Sheehan offers some immediate fantasy intrigue, especially in deeper mixed leagues, when he takes the ball for Sunday’s series finale against the Astros. The 25-year-old righty is expected to receive some runway to establish himself in Los Angeles’ rotation mix with Ben Casparius shifting back to a bullpen role. It’s a bit unclear how things will shake out once Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) returns, but Sheehan has a path to regular starts if he performs at the highest level in Los Angeles. He’s at least worthy of a speculative pickup for fantasy purposes.

Casparius, who was torched for six runs over three innings on Friday night against Houston, has been hit extremely hard since ostensibly joining Los Angeles’ starting rotation in a regular bulk role a couple weeks ago. The decision paves the way for Emmet Sheehan, who is poised to start on Sunday against the Astros, to take over the rotation spot moving forward.

Sheehan has been one of the trendiest names in fantasy baseball after his tremendous season debut against the Padres, followed by a 13-strikeout start in Triple-A. Things were not as smooth on Tuesday, as Sheehan struck out two and walked one. He did allow only one extra base hit and threw 39 of his 59 pitches for strikes, but he wasn’t as crisp as he had been in his previous outings. It’s a good reminder that Sheehan missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, so there should be some inconsistencies expected as he works his way back. He is still a worthwhile stash in fantasy leagues, but his role in Los Angeles is uncertain, and there will be some blips like this along the way as well.

Sheehan is taking the ball on Tuesday night for Triple-A Oklahoma City, but could get the call for Sunday’s series finale against the Astros with Yoshinobu Yamamoto getting some extra rest. The 25-year-old former pitching prospect struck out 13 over six perfect innings last Wednesday in his previous Triple-A outing and offers some streaming appeal in deeper mixed leagues. There should be a final decision from the Dodgers at some point later this week.

Sheehan was sensational for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, but the 25-year-old will remain in the minors for at least one more start. If that one goes well, the right-hander could make that next appearance with Los Angeles, and fantasy managers should give him consideration if/when that takes place.

Sheehan isn’t eligible to return to the big leagues until at least next Friday under league option rules, unless it’s as an injury replacement. The 25-year-old former top pitching prospect was jettisoned to the minors last week after allowing just one run while striking out six over four innings in his season debut against the Padres. This is the type of statement outing, which included a staggering 21 swinging strikes, that often causes a front office to reconsider their rotation plans. At a bare minimum, Sheehan should be able to provide a lift to the Dodgers’ pitching staff, even if it winds up being as more of a swingman or bulk reliever. He’s missing enough bats that he’s interesting for fantasy purposes, even in shallow mixed leagues.

The 25-year-old hurler pitched fairly well in Wednesday’s start against the Padres, giving up one run on three hits over his four innings while striking out six batters. The expectation was that he would stick around to start against the Rockies next week, which would now require someone else to land on the injured list in order for the Dodgers to bring him back in time.

It was Sheehan’s first start since the 2023 postseason, and all things considered it went pretty well. The 25-year-old held San Diego to three hits, and the only blemish in terms of run-prevention was a run-scoring single by Elias Diaz. He needed just 65 pitches in the outing — 43 of those landing for strikes — and he looked the part for the overwhelming majority of the start. He’s worthy of streaming consideration when he faces the Rockies on Tuesday even with that start taking place in Colorado.