Nothing Wrong With Back of the Rotation SP for LAD
I said it when Roki Sasaki was struggling…If not Roki, who? He finally started to pitch with more confidence and he put together a string of positive starts. Yes, there were those who forgot about his previous four excellent starts and instead focused on his CWS start. He is a back of the rotation pitcher. He is not an Ace. There is still time as he is just 24 years…
I said it when Roki Sasaki was struggling…If not Roki, who? He finally started to pitch with more confidence and he put together a string of positive starts. Yes, there were those who forgot about his previous four excellent starts and instead focused on his CWS start. He is a back of the rotation pitcher. He is not an Ace. There is still time as he is just 24 years old.
Then there is the other back of the rotation RHSP that many do not care for, Emmet Sheehan. Comments like he should not pitch to batters a third time through, or 4 and done. Sheehan is all of 26 years old, and has accomplished 6.0+ innings multiple times this year and in his career. He is a back of the rotation pitcher. He is not an Ace. Was not drafted to be and is not expected to be.
The difference this year over last year is the number of HRs allowed. But consider that he is in the 90th percentile for Chase and 85th percentile for Whiff. It is not his stuff. It is his command. He has had it on multiple occasions, but he is struggling with it thus far. With his ability for chase and whiff it is probably a mechanics issue, not stuff. How does he get it back? He pitches.
I have had a couple of really good conversations with my son this past week. He is not a big LAD fan and he loves to argue with me. He knows I like Sheehan and he decided to watch Sunday’s game, just to argue with me. But he surprised me. He said there are going to be a lot of fans criticizing Sheehan, but he liked what he saw. For five innings he dominated. He made a horrible pitch for the HR and it looked like it deflated him. Then he told me, “I don’t think fans understand just how hard it is to try and pitch a shutout.”
With the LAD lackluster offense, Sheehan may have thought he had to pitch a shutout for 6-7 innings. While he did not experience stress with runners on base in the first five innings, it was the stress of trying to be being perfect. One bad pitch ended the day for him. Of course it should not have, but he is a young back of the rotation pitcher trying to stick in the LAD rotation. He knows Glasnow and Snell will be back. He is not making millions. He is just above MLB minimum. He is not going to make the big $$$ unless he sticks in a rotation.
Go back and look at Yamamoto’s early season struggles when he was not getting any offensive help. On May 12 he gave up 5 runs in a 6-2 loss, and the next start he lost 1-0. His last four starts have been extra special, but he got a lot of run support…5 runs, 9 runs, 9 runs, and 7 runs. How different might it have been if he was getting his early season run support? Yama is an Ace and is being paid as an Ace.
So if not Sheehan, who? River Ryan? IMO Ryan is legit, but he may be more suited to be a high leverage reliever come the end of THIS year. He has 55.1 total AAA IP. 32.0 IP with 7 starts this year. That is 4.5 innings per start. He is not fully ramped up yet. Close, but not yet. After Ryan, there is NOBODY.
Sheehan is having a better year over many proven SP. He would be #2 for the Cubs only behind Imanaga. He would be #3 for Milwaukee and NYM. #3/#4 for a number of teams. But he is with the Dodgers, and Dodger fans want pitchers who can qualify for top of rotation status.
Just like I stuck with Sasaki, I am sticking with Sheehan.
- Eric Lauer – 4 starts, 22.1 IP – 3.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .228 BAA, 5 BB, 17 K, 5 HR
- Emmit Sheehan – 13 starts, 64.1 IP, 4.76 ERA, 1.20 WHIP. .244 BAA, 17 BB, 72 K, 12 HR
- Roki Sasaki – 12 starts, 62.1 IP, 4.76 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, .246 BAA, 24 BB, 64 K, 11 HR
ACL Reds 4 – ACL Dodgers 2
The Reds scored 4 off SP Jose Taveras in the 1st inning. In 3.2 IP, he gave up 5 hits and issued 4 BB.
The Dodgers did not have a hit in the first four innings. In the 6th, they scored 2 runs with a double, error, BB, and single. They got their 3rd hit in 7th. LF Leider Padilla had a double for the only XBH. No hitter had more than 1 hit.
DSL Reds 4 – DSL LAD Mega 2
RHRP Nehemias Valdez had a good 2.0 innings of scoreless pitching. No hits or walks and 1 K. For 2026, 4 games, 4.1 IP, 1 ER allowed, 1 hit, 1 BB, 3 K.
No DSL LAD Mega hitter had more than 1 hit.
- C Robert Saucedo, double (3).
- CF Helvin Mendoza, double (2).
- DH Jose Rivas, double (2).
DSL LAD Bautista 16 – DSL Royals Fortuna 5
German born LHSP Tom Apfelbaum completed 3.0 scoreless innings. He allowed 2 hits, 1 BB, and 2 K.
CF Rubel Arias is thus far proving he was worth the hype. Will it continue? Can he emulate Eduardo Quintero?
- CF Rubel Arias – 3-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, 1 SF, triple (1)
- 3B Adrian Del Cid – 2-4, 2 BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI, double (2)
- 1B Oliver Chapman – 2-5, 3 runs
- RF Jeibert Rondon – 3-3, 2 BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI, double (1)
- C Haram Hernandez – 4-6, 2 runs, 4 RBI, double (3)
- LF Jhosman Theran – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (2)
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Discussion (83)
Disagree, not disagreeable
The ownership group just bought the Lakers, what in the world makes you think they would sell the Dodgers? They are building an asset group.
“If the Dodgers do that trade, it tells me that they are going to sell the team.“ Aren’t you the one that said they would? Made sense when I read it. Three in row World Champion, new CBA cramping their style. Dump it and quadruple your investment.
Not sure what you are saying here Badger, other than nobody knows what the future holds.
Got that right. Heather Lockliving Next Door.
I don’t believe the Dodgers had the collateral to acquire Miller. DeVries was a Top 5 prospect. Those are coveted. With Sirota and DePaula, the Dodgers do have the collateral now, it is going to take at least one. Maybe both. If the Dodgers do that trade, it tells me that they are going to sell the team. In defense of Cash, it’s purely 2nd guessing. We have no clue what Snell would have done and if Snell stumbled the second guessers would have been on him like stink on a goat. Second guessers are never wrong.
Their offense without Acuna is very vulnerable right now. Sale is about their only solid starter.
I get where you are coming from, I simply disagree that the Dodgers will even consider trading for him. AF has never overpaid for a rental. It is highly doubtful he does it at all. I am not concerned with the Yankees, Braves, Phillies or anyone else. I have no control over who they might acquire or not. Padres won the deadline last year and still lost.
She fine tho
Yeah, this should be the farewell ride.
Happy for him too
Bear, EVERY competitive organization, no matter where their system ranks, has the resources to make the trade that they feel they must make. There are a number of creative ways to make things happen.
I can see the Braves going all in for Skubal especially with Spencer Strider being shut down for the next month or so.
A. AF won’t trade for him simply to keep him from being traded to another contending team. He did not do it for Miller, and he sure won’t change his stripes for a rental who is going to cost a ton in player capital. B. Detroit is 9 games back, 12 games under .500. Unless they go on a real serious run, they are not going to be back in the race anytime soon. They play the Astros the next two then a weekend series with the White Sox, who are leading the Central. Skubal is set to pitch Fridays opener. C. What will it take to land Skubal? That is the question. The Phillies farm system is ranked 16th. Yankees are 20th, Braves 28th. None of those teams you mentioned have the prospect capital to make a deal. Now, if they trade talent on the roster and under team control, maybe. The Padres are way down on the list too. Milwaukee has the best farm system in the majors according to Bleacher Report. If they get serious about winning it all, it is concievable they would trade for Skubal. They did it before with Sabathia.
Correct, some team will jump out of the gym for him, especially with a possibe lockout looming? Ohanti, Yamamoto, Skubal, Snell in the playoffs. Prospects are cooler, parades are cooler….
We still have no idea what will be needed come September. Things happen. Things have already happened and things will continue to happen. Many are assuming Snell, Ohtani, Yamamoto, (Glasnow?) and Sasaki will be 100% until November. I don’t assume that. Currently the team has Lauer and Sheehan, both with ERA’s over 4.5, pulling up the back of the rotation (actually Sasaki is in that group as well) so everyone is pitching only once a week, something I’ve been petitioning for a couple of years now. Maybe the staff will cruise through the summer, Glasnow and Snell will return, maybe Stone, maybe Ryan, maybe Phillips, maybe Diaz, maybe maybe maybe. In the meantime Skubal is traded to Milwaukee, Philadelphia, San Diego, or Chicago. Actually there are a number of teams that could use an ace in October, some may not even be in contention now. I’d just as soon he was here. Make no mistake, this year is about the 3peat. Whatever it takes.
I think Miggy will retire. He would be blocking one of the kids.
Yes, LA’s hitters can be a maddening bunch. Way too many RISP left on the bases.
Now that makes sense Pop. As a September call up to give the big guns a blow prior to the playoffs, yes, especially with neither Stone nor Knack expected back soon. Stone has a lot more experience than Ryan and a good track record. They get Phillips and Stewart back soon, so the BP will be bolstered.
I agree Duke. And, yes, it is nice he did it against the Padres. May was so much fun to watch when he first came up. The movement and velo combination he had was ridiculous. I’ll never forget the strikeout of Machado where the pitch was headed for the inside of the plate and ended about two feet inside after Manny swung. It looks like Manny got his payback last night.
Best case scenario for us is that Detroit gets back in the race and keeps Skubal. It’s not that we need him, the issue is adding him to Phillie, Brave or Yankee rotation
Concerning a River Ryan callup in the near future? According to Athletic Dodger beat writer, Katie Woo, the Dodger front office wants Ryan to remain at OKC to continue to build up arm strength and more important continue improving his overall physical health. He has been injury prone in the past, so the team wants him get stronger overall for the long term. The current starters are doing fine right now and there is no need for Ryan to be called up. Some more consistent offense would help the starters pitch with less stress.
Not at the moment.
Rojas has said if the Dodgers repeat, he might come back. So, with any luck he won’t be missed at all.
Then Dodgers plan to slow play Ryan. But I have heard they bare looking to use him sometime this year. My guess, when rosters expand in September.
Thou shall not covet…. And not just your neighbor’s wife 🙂