Emmet Sheehan, River Ryan look to put injuries behind them to round out Dodgers' rotation

GLENDALE, Ariz. — While the Dodgers’ October blueprint begins with a front four that would make any general manager salivate—Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani—October baseball is rarely kind to best-laid plans. Snell’s spring is already behind schedule because of offseason shoulder soreness, and the club’s well-documented preference for workload management means the competition for the final rotation vacancies is no afterthought.

Enter Emmet Sheehan and River Ryan, two power right-handers who missed the entire 2024 regular season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and are now healthy, hungry, and determined to secure the last two starting jobs this spring.

Sheehan, 26, logged 90 high-leverage innings in 2025 after a methodical post-surgery ramp-up, posting a 2.82 ERA and a 30.6 percent strikeout rate in 15 appearances (12 starts) before shifting to the bullpen for the postseason. The October stage was unforgiving—an 8.59 ERA in 7⅓ relief innings—but the experience crystallized a new approach.

“Coming out of the bullpen, just being ready from pitch one is an advantage,” Sheehan said. “As a starter you navigate a lineup three times, so you can’t show everything early. In relief, you can empty the tank. I think it’s a good mix to have both mindsets.”

That hybrid mentality translated into tangible tweaks. Sheehan raised his arm slot five degrees, flattening his four-seam fastball and living 73 percent of the time in the upper third of the zone. He also doubled his slider usage against right-handed hitters to 41 percent, generating a 24.4 percent swinging-strike rate and a 32.4 percent put-away rate with two strikes. Lefties still gave him trouble, so expect a heavier dose of changeups early in counts this season.

River Ryan’s journey is equally compelling. The 27-year-old converted infielder tore his UCL in August 2024 after dazzling in a 20⅓-inning cameo (1.33 ERA, 18 strikeouts). Rather than rush back for a token outing in the fall, Ryan and the training staff opted for a full shutdown followed by a transformative offseason. He added nearly 40 pounds of muscle, climbing from 190 to 231 pounds, and spent the winter refining pitch sequencing rather than overhauling an already electric arsenal—upper-90s ride fastball, two-plane curveball, and a slider that posted a 30 percent put-away rate to righties in 2024.

“Last year was about learning what pitches get me to two strikes as fast as possible,” Ryan said. “Then anything goes from there.”

Health remains the primary objective. “My main goal is to have a healthy season,” he emphasized. “Whether that’s in the starting rotation or coming out of the bullpen, I’m prepared for both.”

Roki Sasaki, the prized off-season import, is also in the mix, but the 23-year-old is still developing a reliable third pitch and may open the year in the minors after a shoulder impingement limited his 2025 workload. That uncertainty leaves the door ajar for Sheehan and Ryan, two pitchers whose upside could swing the balance of power in the National League West.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has repeatedly stated that depth will decide the division. If Sheehan and Ryan can stay on the mound, Los Angeles may have found the final pieces of a championship puzzle without spending another dollar in free agency.