Dodgers’ Emmet Sheehan ready for the long rehab road ahead
The 24-year-old right-hander is the latest Dodgers pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery and will be sidelined until some time in 2025.
LOS ANGELES — Emmet Sheehan is the latest member of a rapidly growing fraternity.
The Dodgers right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last week and now faces over a year on the sidelines, rehabilitating.
“Super frustrating,” Sheehan said Monday, back at Dodger Stadium for the first time since the procedure. “Obviously being on a team like this, it’s really cool to be around these guys and getting to play with them is a great opportunity that I was looking forward to. But there’s no real point in thinking about that now. Kind of just moving on to the next thing and trying to progress and get better and be healthy for next year.”
The 24-year-old Sheehan was 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) for the Dodgers last season and was the frontrunner to open this season in the Dodgers’ starting rotation while Walker Buehler finished recovering from his own elbow surgery.
But Sheehan said he started feeling “forearm discomfort” during spring training and was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.
“We tried to go the non-surgical way. It didn’t end up happening,” Sheehan said.
“There were other guys that had similar tears that have been able to do it. That’s not what happened with me.”
Sheehan said he made the decision last Monday and had the surgery two days later. He underwent the new Tommy John technique which includes an internal brace. The recovery time is at least 13 months but Sheehan said hopes to return at some point in midseason 2025.
“I don’t really think there’s any point in being down in the dumps about it now,” Sheehan said. “There’s a lot of work to be done ahead of me. But I’ve been in situations before where it didn’t look like I was going to make it to the big leagues or get drafted, stuff like that. I don’t know I always feel like there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
Sheehan said he has talked with a number of teammates who have gone through Tommy John surgery including Shohei Ohtani and Tony Gonsolin who are both still in the recovery process. There is certainly no shortage of Tommy John survivors for Sheehan to consult with the frequency of the surgery making it seem inevitable for a professional pitcher.
“Obviously it’s more of a problem now than it’s been but I don’t think it’s inevitable,” he said. “I just think it’s something that happens sometimes. It’s part of the game. Nothing you can really do about it.”
TRADE PICKUP
The Dodgers acquired right-hander Yohan Ramirez from the New York Mets in exchange for cash considerations. Ramirez, 29, was designated for assignment by the Mets last week. The Dodgers will be his third team this season. Ramirez also pitched for the Baltimore Orioles.
He was 0-1 with a 6.91 ERA in 10 appearances for the Mets and Orioles this season and has a 4.29 ERA in parts of five seasons with six teams.
Right-hander Eduardo Salazar was designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot for Ramirez and right-hander Landon Knack was sent back to Triple-A to clear a spot on the active roster. Knack pitched 4⅓ innings on Sunday and has a 2.61 ERA in four starts for the Dodgers this season.
MAKING PROGRESS
Right-hander Joe Kelly played catch on Monday, his first time throwing since going on the injured list with a shoulder injury two weeks ago.
Roberts said right-hander Evan Phillips could go on a rehab assignment and be ready to return in the next seven to 10 days. He has been out since May 3 with a hamstring injury.
Right-hander Bobby Miller will throw three innings in a simulated-game setting on Tuesday. A rehab assignment could be the next step. Miller is out with a shoulder injury.
In Arizona, Dustin May’s throwing program has progressed to the point that he has begun throwing off a mound.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks (RHP Brandon Pfaadt, 1-3, 4.17 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Gavin Stone, 4-1, 3.27 ERA), Tuesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM