The Los Angeles Dodgers stuck with Emmet Sheehan throughout his inconsistencies this season but that changed last week when he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding move to Tarik Skubal joining the active roster.
That decision came one day after Sheehan labored through another outing in which he failed to make it out of the third inning and allowed five runs. The Dodgers hoped by sending Sheehan to Oklahoma City he would be in a better environment to work through some of his struggles.
Emmet Sheehan’s first start with Oklahoma City
Sheehan made his first for the Comets on Saturday night in what turned into a back-and-forth affair against the Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels’ Triple-A affiliate). The right-hander wasn’t long for the game, however, as he was removed after throwing 22 pitches and recording just two outs.
According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the Dodgers planned on Sheehan’s first start back in the Minors to be a shortened outing.
Per source: This was a pre-planned abbreviated outing for Emmet Sheehan for workload purposes with the expectation of having a normal outing next time through the rotation. https://t.co/CB26Sw7sT3
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) August 9, 2026
It’s not yet clear why the team planned on a short start for Sheehan, nor is it known how long they intended for him to pitch. It stands to reason the goal was still one full inning if not two. His outing came on five days of rest, which is line with the schedule the Dodgers have kept for the starters.
One plausible explanation is the game was played at The Ballpark at America First Square in Jordan, Utah, which is a challenging environment for pitchers.
Sheehan’s outing began with a leadoff walk but he followed that by retiring the next two batters faced. Sheehan then gave up an RBI double and was removed from the game. Sheehan’s fastball velocity averaged 94.8 mph, which was slightly up from his season average (94.4 mph) with the Dodgers.
Manager Dave Roberts remarked last week that he believed Sheehan needed to get back to simply pitching and not being consumed by velocity or mechanics when on the mound.
“I do think from the outset there was a lot of talk on his velocity, so I think that might’ve bled in a little bit to his North Star. Which some could debate that should be, some would say that shouldn’t be,” Roberts said.
“I just think this year, up to this point, it’s been very mechanics-driven. When you’re in the competition, the season, that quite frankly should be the last thing on your mind as a hitter or a pitcher. But that’s been forefront for him, so we’ve got to get him back to being an athlete, being in compete mode.”
Sheehan went 4-8 with a 5.29 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 20 starts prior to getting demoted.
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