The pitching depth in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization is one of their biggest strengths this season. It has allowed them to be patient with Blake Snell’s buildup and likely have him miss the start of the season, despite the $182 million contract they gave him.
Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan will play an important role in the Dodgers’ pitching plan in 2026 because of their versatility, which was on display during the regular season and postseason last year.
While the pair often occupied a hybrid role in the pitching staff last year, the organization sees them as starters first and foremost. Even in the potential scenario where most of their innings come as relievers this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained why developing them as starters in camp carries certain advantages.
“I think number one is that we still see them as starters,” he said. “They have the ability to go five, six innings, and if they’re built up, even further down the road. But again, it’s just developing them as starters allows for them to develop their pitches, their pitch mix, second time through the order, third time through the order.
“And then, however it falls out, I think that’s kind of the organization’s thought. But they’re starters. And like I said, something can happen tomorrow, the next day, and we’re going to need them to kind of take on that starter role. So for them to look at it as starters until they’re not, that’s kind of the way I think we should look at it.”
The Dodgers are also likely to have at least one of them open the year in the rotation, if not both of them. But even if they weren’t expected to be in the rotation, that could change at any moment.
“It’s huge, because obviously with pitching, you just never know what’s going to happen as far as the health part of it. So to have as many guys built up, obviously, just gives a lot of optionality,” Roberts said.
“And I do think that for Justin and Emmett, and certain other guys that have kind of done the hybrid, it’s allowed them to believe they can do different things to get them ready to pitch in a Major League game. So I do think that’s been helpful for them as starters.
“But, yeah, I think at the end of the day, just kind of build these guys up is the goal right now.”
Dodgers preparing Justin Wrobleski with Cactus League start
When asked about what Wrobleski’s start on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs meant for his Opening Day role, Roberts said he wanted to see what the left-hander did with the opportunity before the Dodgers break camp.
“Just expecting him to go two innings today and build up. I want him to have that mentality to be a starter and see where that takes us here in the next few weeks,” Roberts said. “But Justin has got a lot of confidence right now, rightfully so, and just expect him to keep building on it.”
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