Dodgers option Emmet Sheehan back to Triple-A OKC

Technically, Sheehan could be brought back later this week to take the ball against the Giants in place of an injured Blake Snell (groin), but that would require another player, not necessarily Snell himself, to go on the injured list. The 26-year-old righty struck out nine over 5 1/3 shutout frames against San Francisco on Sunday. He’s been temporarily demoted to get Roki Sasaki back on Los Angeles’ active roster.,

Sheehan didn’t get the win; he would have needed to record two more outs, since the Dodgers didn’t take the lead until the bottom of the seventh. Fantasy owners have to be disappointed to have missed out on Sheehan’s performance after the Dodgers’ surprising decision to demote him earlier this week, but it looks like the team had this plotted out. It’s unclear if Sheehan will get another start. The Dodgers are probably going to want him in the pen during the postseason, though he would be the top rotation alternative in the event of a Blake Snell setback.

With Tarik Skubal landing on the bereavement list on Sunday, Sheehan will return to add a fresh arm to the Dodgers’ bullpen. Expect him to get some usage during Sunday’s bullpen game against the Giants. Sheehan fired six scoreless innings against the Giants last Sunday in his last start with the Dodgers.

It’s a tough break for fantasy managers hoping to see Sheehan take the ball against the Giants later this week. The 26-year-old righty posted five strikeouts over six scoreless frames in a no-decision against the Marlins on Sunday. He allowed just one run over 11 2/3 frames in a pair of starts after returning to the majors back on September 7. It appears that his rotation spot will be going to Roki Sasaki (blister) in a couple days. The Dodgers also have former Royals starter Kris Bubic joining their pitching equation later this week.

After striking out 10 batters in his return to the majors on Monday, Sheehan feasted in a favorable matchup. He gave up just two hits — both of them singles — while walking one and striking out five. He induced 14 swinging strikes in his 81 pitches while getting multiple whiffs on all four of his pitches. Unfortunately, the Dodgers’ bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Nevertheless, it was another impressive outing for someone who was regarded as a breakout candidate in fantasy leagues coming into the year. This doesn’t make up for the disappointment earlier in the year, but Sheehan is back on the radar. If the Dodgers decide to keep him in the rotation, it would likely be against the Giants next weekend.

The lone run came on Elly De La Cruz’s homer in the first. Sheehan allowed only two other hits and walked one in the 82-pitch outing. Manager Dave Roberts said after the game that Sheehan would get a chance to remain in the rotation. That probably puts him in line to face the Marlins on Sunday, making him a worthy streaming option.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters it might not be a one-and-done spot start for Sheehan, but he’ll presumably need to perform to keep his rotation spot until the playoffs begin. The 26-year-old gets the ball for Monday’s series opener against the Reds in Los Angeles after looking extremely sharp in a handful of recent outings at the Triple-A level where he’s allowed one run with a 16/4 K/BB ratio across 11 2/3 innings of work. It’s a bit of a challenging matchup given how Cincinnati is performing recently, but there’s some streaming appeal in deeper mixed leagues.

This has been assumed since Eric Lauer went on the IL, but it’s now official. Sheehan’s outing might come behind an opener, but he is stretched out to go long; he’s allowed one run over 17 1/3 innings in his last three starts for Oklahoma City. Those prioritizing wins could give him a try.

It’s was always a bit unclear how exactly Lauer would fit into Los Angeles’ pitching equation heading into the postseason. He’s probably going to miss at least a few weeks, if not longer. There should be some clarity on his status in the coming days. He was lit up for seven runs over three innings in a loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday night. It’s most likely going to be Emmet Sheehan coming up to fill his rotation spot against the Nationals on Sunday.

Sheehan threw 68 percent of his pitches for strikes, while posting an 18 percent swinging strike rate and 37 percent CSW. His four-seamer averaged 94.2 mph, and his slider carved batters up all day. There’s no room for him in the Dodgers’ rotation right now, but it’s nice to see him continuing to pitch well.