Dodgers' Promising Pitcher Wins Award Following Triple-A Demotion

0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan landed back in Triple-A after a brief stint in the majors, and earned the Pacific Coast League's Pitcher of the Week award after a strong performance upon his return.

The Dodgers first sent Sheehan to Triple-A at the beginning of the month following their acquisition of All-Star starting pitcher Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline. They recalled him following Edwin Diaz's move to the injured list, though he didn't feature before they sent him back down Friday.

Sheehan made his only start of the week for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, and had a fantastic showing in his second minor-league start of the year. He lasted six innings, allowing just one hit, and struck out nine batters while issuing two walks.

The right-hander's strong start is sure to instill confidence in himself following a crushing demotion, and he'll hope to carry his momentum into his next start as he aims for an MLB return this season.

Sunday marked Sheehan's third Triple-A outing of the season, with the other two coming on Aug. 8 and Aug. 12. He lasted just 0.2 innings in his first outing, allowing just two earned runs, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team planned for Sheehan to have an abbreviated outing.

He came back out four days later and produced a solid start, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against the Albuquerque Isotopes. He has a 1.46 ERA through his three appearances in Triple-A, striking out 17 batters across 12.1 innings pitched.

In the majors, Sheehan had a 5.29 ERA through 20 starts with the Dodgers, struggling to keep runs off the board throughout the entire season with the Dodgers. He allowed 20 homers this season, which is more than he had allowed throughout his entire MLB career prior to 2026.

While Sheehan's performances are good for his confidence, the odds he returns to the Dodgers' rotation this season are low. The right-hander is a quality pitcher, but the Dodgers' star-studded rotation is especially difficult to break into at the moment—especially given their returning arms.

On top of Cy Young Winners Blake Snell and Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers have World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and emerging star Roki Sasaki in their rotation as well. In addition to them, All-Star Tyler Glasnow is set to return from the injured list Tuesday, and Shohei Ohtani will also command a spot upon his return.

Sheehan can very well make his way back to MLB this season, but the chances of him featuring as a starter when everyone in the rotation is healthy are slim.

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