With the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching rotation more or less set following the news that Emmet Sheehan won a spot alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki, the real question became who Dave Roberts would use when after the season opens up against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.
With Yamamoto locked in as the Opening Day starter and unquestioned ace following his World Series heroics, would Roberts go in terms of seniority, with the young guys pulling up the rear behind veterans Glasnow and Ohtani? Or would he instead try to keep Blake Snell's two-spot open for him when he returns in May? Well, while talking to reporters on Monday, Roberts laid out his plans, as passed along by the California Post's Jack Harris.
“Here’s how the Dodgers will line up their rotation for the start of the season, per Dave Roberts Thu: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Fri: Emmet Sheehan Sat: Tyler Glasnow Mon: Roki Sasaki Tue: Shohei Ohtani,” Harris shared.
Interesting. Very interesting. Not only is Snell's spot being defacto given to Sheehan for now, keeping Tyler Glasnow as No. 3 for the time being, but Sasaki isn't the team's fifth starter and will instead leapfrog Ohtani to give him a week to get his offensive sea legs before taking the mound.
Will the Dodgers stick to this rotation all season long? Nope, as last season proved, injuries can force a team to make major changes in the middle of the season, and when Snell does return, either Sheehan or Sasaki will have to take on a reserve role coming off the bench unless Roberts wants to shake things up and go all-in on a six-man rotation. For now, however, the Dodgers are ready roll into the regular season and fans will be excited to see how it shakes out all the same.
