SAN DIEGO — Emmett Sheehan Misses Game Due to Work Commitments

This absence didn’t mean the stakes were low, though.

By 2026, the 26-year-old right-hander had an ERA exceeding 5.00. He had been the starter for the first 14 games, giving up several runs in nearly every outing except one. Throughout the year, his fastball speed and execution of secondary pitches varied significantly.

Last week, tensions escalated for Sheehan after he allowed six runs in just over three innings against the Orioles. The ominous comments from manager Dave Roberts—”He’s going to start next game, and we’ll see where we go”—did little to alleviate pressure.

While Roberts sounded more hopeful by Sunday, revealing that Sheehan still had “room” to improve, the weight on the young pitcher intensified. The Dodgers were in a pinch, lacking another reliable option to step in after River Ryan’s injury in Triple-A last week.

“It should be better,” Roberts stated, noting that this game would be a good test for Sheehan.

In the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory against the Padres, Sheehan delivered one of his strongest performances in recent months. He held the Padres to a single run over five innings, striking out five and allowing just two hits. For the first time in quite a while, he exhibited the consistency that had been missing.

Roberts remarked, “He knows there’s more out there… We believe in Emmett. He has great stuff, though he’s had ups and downs. This is a solid chance for him to show what he can do.”

Sheehan began strong, establishing his offense early and leveraging mid-90 mph fastballs. He then effectively mixed in curveballs, sliders, and changeups to keep the batters at bay.

However, his command fluctuated as the game went on, resulting in two walks and a hit batter. In the fourth inning, he threw a slider that Manny Machado hit for a solo home run over the left field wall.

But during a crucial moment in the fifth inning, with two outs and a runner on second, Sheehan fired a breaking ball that Samad Taylor chased in the dirt. It was a pitch he had honed with assistant pitching coach Connor McGuinness earlier that week.

That strikeout was significant, and Sheehan left the mound with determination, having thrown 84 pitches.

“It’s tough to differentiate between process and outcome,” he reflected. “When you’re not performing well and losing games, that’s particularly challenging.”

Indeed, it had been a struggle for him to shake off the frustrations from earlier in the season. A dip in fastball velocity and ineffective breaking pitches led him to fixate on his mechanics, which only compounded his challenges when pressure mounted.

“When you’re feeling off, you tend to focus on your mechanics and search for something,” Roberts pointed out. “But in critical moments, you need to find a way to rise above that and compete.”

And on Sunday, Sheehan rose to the occasion, striking out Taylor in what Roberts referred to as his final batter of the day. This performance could very well be the turnaround the team needed for their season. “As I told him post-game, we really need to keep building on this,” Roberts noted. “Let’s keep working this week and be prepared for the next start.”