After making his MLB debut last year, Emmet Sheehan viewed the 2024 season as a clear opportunity to be a relied-upon option for the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff.
Unfortunately, he’s been sidelined with right forearm inflammation that has him on the 60-day injured list. Sheehan began the season on the 15-day IL because of the forearm trouble and despite being transferred, a recent MRI showed no damage to his flexor tendon.
The good news for the 24-year-old comes at a time when he could be of much use given Bobby Miller is also injured and the Dodgers rotation has lacked consistency.
Although Sheehan faces a long road to return, he’s optimistic of pitching this year and doesn’t believe the injury will cause him to miss the 2024 season, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Sheehan acknowledged that his status is “a little up in the air.” But he said he is not looking at this season as potentially being a lost year.
“No definitely not,” Sheehan said. “My main goal is just to contribute to us winning the World Series. There’s still time for that.”
Sheehan’s flashes of potential during the 2023 season set expectations of what his continued development would lead to. In 2023, he went 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA, 4.85 FIP and 1.19 WHIP across 13 games (11 starts).
Sheehan’s rehab won’t go without the Dodgers using extreme caution, as forearm inflammation often leads to Tommy John surgery or flexor tendon repair. Moreover, the right-hander never appeared in a Cactus League game during Spring Training and thus hasn’t done much pitching this year.
Emmet Sheehan’s timeline
Despite Sheehan being limited since the early days of Spring Training, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has also remained optimistic. Roberts indicated Sheehan is expected to resume throwing in the coming days.
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