DENVER — Biding his time between starts for the Dodgers, Emmet Sheehan wasn’t just good Wednesday afternoon – he was perfect.
Sheehan pitched six perfect innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, striking out 13 of the 18 batters he faced in a dominating performance against the Sacramento River Cats.
“I did (see that). It was pretty good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s what you’re supposed to do.
“He did what he needed to do. I’m not sure when he’ll be back on line. But he did what he needed to do.”
Sheehan made his return from Tommy John surgery with his first post-surgery start last week against the San Diego Padres. He allowed just one run on three hits while striking out six and walking none in four innings.
That he was subsequently returned to Triple-A had more to do with the schedule than Sheehan’s performance. The Dodgers wanted to keep left-hander Justin Wrobleski for the series in the challenging pitching environment of Coors Field because Wrobleski’s pitch count was built up more than Sheehan. He will also pitch on four days of rest Sunday in Kansas City, something the Dodgers clearly aren’t ready to ask Sheehan to do.
Sheehan “absolutely” belongs in the Dodgers’ starting rotation long term, Roberts acknowledged. He cannot return until July 4 – unless it is to replace a pitcher who goes on the injured list. That loophole could bring him back as soon as next week’s home series against the Chicago White Sox.
“As we’ve seen with starting pitching, things change weekly,” Roberts said.
Sheehan has made himself an attractive option for the Dodgers’ depleted rotation sooner than expected. His return came just 13 months after surgery, the low end of the recovery timeline.
His effectiveness has also been an outlier in the Tommy John process. In four rehab starts (three for OKC and one in the Arizona Complex League), he struck out 21 of 47 batters while walking just one, allowing 10 hits in 11⅓ innings. That was followed by his start against the Padres and Wednesday’s perfect outing in Triple-A.
“Not at all. Not at all,” Roberts said when asked if he was surprised by how well Sheehan has pitched since returning. “I think that he dominated the rehab program. He is much more physical than he used to be. I think he’s just got such a good head, a calmness about him. I think he dominated the glove-side command and the changeup off of it, the breaking ball. So I’m not surprised in the least.”
RUSH HOUR
Rookie catcher Dalton Rushing made his 13th major-league start Wednesday at Coors Field. It was his first pairing with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is the eighth different starting pitcher Rushing has caught (including Lou Trivino, Matt Sauer and Shohei Ohtani in bullpen games).
Rushing’s starts have been much more tied to the schedule and when the Dodgers want to give Will Smith a day off – like Wednesday’s night game before a day game Thursday – and far less about who is pitching.
“I think he can handle it,” Roberts said. “When I watch young players on the bench, he’s asking the right questions. He’s watching, absorbing. And so I think that I want to continue to challenge him.
“He’s building relationships with the pitchers, and I think that’s the thing that if you do that, you get a little more grace with the pitchers. That’s what I see right now, as a young ballplayer.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 3-0, 3.31 ERA) at Rockies (LHP Austin Gomber, 0-1, 8.38 ERA), Thursday, 12:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM