Shohei Ohtani was scheduled to take the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers as the team looked to bounce back from a 9-7 loss in the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But Ohtani was a last minute scratch. Los Angeles gave the ball to Emmet Sheehan instead. And the second-year pitcher provided some controversy along with his spot start.
Pirates infielder Cam Devanney made his long-awaited MLB debut on August 31 and recorded his first major league hit on Wednesday. After Devanney reached on a single to left in the bottom of the second inning, cameras caught Sheehan doing something… odd.
It appears Emmet Sheehan just intentionally kept the first MLB hit ball for Cam Devanney.
The team asked for the ball. The umpire threw Sheehan a new ball and he clearly switched it in his glove.
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) September 3, 2025
“It appears Emmet Sheehan just intentionally kept the first MLB hit ball for Cam Devanney,” Ben Verlander wrote on X. “The team asked for the ball. The umpire threw Sheehan a new ball and he clearly switched it in his glove.”
Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan faces backlash after switcheroo
An on-air breakdown of the footage did appear to confirm that Sheehan swapped out Devanney’s memento. Was this an act of unmitigated cruelty or a simply a harmless accident?
Dodgers reporter Kristen Watson attempted to clear things up after speaking with the pitcher. “Emmet Sheehan said it was not intentional,” Watson wrote. “He didn’t realize that the ball was being called for and shared he would personally apologize to Cam Devanney for the misunderstanding.”
That explanation failed to satisfy some fans. And many took to social media to share their thoughts.
Platinum Key wrote:
“Going to post every clip of Emmet Sheehan getting shelled in the postseason. This guy SUCKS”
Kyle Broughton added:
“Emmet Sheehan is a complete dickhole. What if this justifiably curses the Dodgers for the next 100 years?”
Benedict Bumford noted:
“Absolute scumbag behavior from Emmet Sheehan of the @Dodgers not saving Devanney’s first hit ball. You can’t take someone getting a hit off you, get off the mound you pigeon. @MLB fine this guy.”
@trotterman3 contemplated:
“If he had the ball in his hand that was the kid's first hit and then caught the new ball in his glove why reach into his glove at all? He could have just thrown the ball in his hand towards the dugout. He didn't and clearly switched the balls. That's a scummy thing to do.”
And Ty Buttrey reasoned:
“The pitcher looks in the zone, probably had no clue it was this kids first at bat. He reacted from the umpire look at which ball was better and threw the bad ball in… You all love drama”
