Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan won't be taking the mound at all this season.
Sheehan, who made his big-league debut last year, underwent successful Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Wednesday and will be sidelined for the rest of 2024, the Dodgers announced.
This is certainly a crushing blow for a Dodgers squad that was expecting to have Sheehan back at some point this season.
Sheehan was initially injured back in March. At the time, it was ruled a forearm injury. However, Los Angeles was hopeful that the youngster would make his way back. He was shut down from throwing back on April 14 and now won't be available again until 2025.
The Boston College product was selected by Los Angeles in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He flashed some impressive numbers in the minor leagues, going 14-4 with a 2.95 ERA across 42 appearances and 27 starts. Through 146.2 innings of work, he allowed just 81 hits while racking up 242 strikeouts. That was good for an average of 14.9 punchouts per nine innings.
The Dodgers brought Sheehan up to the majors last June. He appeared in 13 games with 11 starts, going 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA. He surrendered 46 hits over 60.1 frames, fanning 64 hitters. He also allowed 11 home runs, which is certainly something he needs to work on once he gets healthy.
The Dodgers' starting rotation is much improved from last year
The good news for Los Angeles is it's not like it desperately needed Sheehan back in the rotation.
Last season, the Dodgers' pitching staff was a major problem, as their starters posted a 4.57 ERA. That ranked 20th in baseball. This year, however, it has been a different story.
The club's top four starters all have ERAs under 3.30, with Tyler Glasnow leading the way at 2.53. Prized offseason addition Yoshinobu Yamamoto has also been brilliant, posting a 3.21 ERA while striking out 53 batters in 47.2 innings of action. Gavin Stone and James Paxton have been terrific, as well.
Los Angeles ranks third in the majors in both ERA and WHIP.
So, the Dodgers can take solace in the fact that their rotation will be just fine without Sheehan's contributions. Obviously, they are going to want the 24-year-old back on the mound next year. He certainly has electric stuff. For now, though, he can take all the time he needs to recover.
Los Angeles entered this season as heavy favorites to win the World Series after landing both Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani during the offseason. Yamamoto has significantly bolstered LA's pitching staff, and Ohtani was joining a lineup that already included the likes of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Plus, the Dodgers added outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who has already smashed 11 long balls while driving in 36 runs this year.
In spite of that, it has actually been a rather modest campaign thus far for the Dodgers. They went into Thursday's action with a record of 29-16. They do hold a 7.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres for first place in the NL West, but that says more about the mediocrity of the division than it says about LA as a team.
It should be noted, though, that Los Angeles has gone 17-5 after a very middling 12-11 start.
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