The 2027 offseason brings plenty of questions for MLB, as a lockout is soon to hit the league, keeping players away from their teams as the league and MLB Players’ Association try to work out a new collective bargaining agreement.
Regardless of when the 2027 season starts, though, Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Emmet Sheehan will be ready when the time comes.
“I think it’s gonna be a little different,” Sheehan said of how he’ll prepare in the offseason. “Just trying to make sure you’re ready for whenever the season is gonna be. If we start on time, I’m going to be ready for that either way, but may have to make some adjustments.”
How Did Emmet Sheehan Perform in 2026?
Sheehan spent the majority of the season in the Dodgers’ rotation, but fell short of expectations following a strong return from Tommy John surgery in 2025.
He made 23 appearances for the Dodgers throughout the year, posting a 4.57 ERA while allowing 21 homers—more than he had allowed in his MLB career prior to this year. The Dodgers demoted him to Triple-A at the trade deadline following the arrival of Tarik Skubal, where he finally pieced things together.
Through four starts in the minors, Sheehan posted a 1.50 ERA while striking out 24 batters in 18 innings as he won the PCL Pitcher of the Month award for August. He returned to the team in September and pitched three times before the end of the season, allowing just one run through 17 innings.
Despite his strong run of form towards the end of the season, though, the Dodgers didn’t include him on the postseason roster for the NLDS or NLCS.
“We didn’t get done what we wanted to get done,” Sheehan said. “At the end of the day, dwelling on it isn’t gonna do anybody any good, so getting back to work is the most important thing right now. Getting ready for next year and to try and get it done next year.”
Will Emmet Sheehan Have a Spot in the Dodgers’ Rotation Next Year?
The Dodgers have their rotation fairly nailed down, even without Taik Skubal, as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki will definitely demand spots come the beginning of next season.
If Shohei Ohtani is healthy to pitch again next season the Dodgers could resort back to their six-man rotation, leaving one spot for Sheehan to fight for. He isn’t the only player who could be in the mix, though, as Justin Wrobleski is also in the race, as is Gavin Stone, who spent the year injured.
Should Sheehan carry his momentum into the spring and put together a solid spring training, though, he could very well snag the final spot in the rotation if the Dodgers miss out on their offseason pursuit of Skubal.
