Emmet Sheehan might become perfect postseason bullpen weapon for Dodgers

On Sunday, Emmet Sheehan showed all of the Dodgers' fandom exactly what kind of pitcher he can be at his best. 

Although the start marked his 14th time taking the ball for the Dodgers this year, his seven shutout innings against the Giants came at the perfect time, representing a significant reminder of his peak while the Dodgers work to figure out what their pitching staff is going to look like this October. In all likelihood, they'll be venturing into the Wild Card Round for the first time since it became best-of-three. 

And though Sheehan likely won’t crack the Dodgers’ postseason rotation, the strong start showed just how valuable he could be as a potential relief option across the unforgiving postseason landscape. 

Emmet Sheehan could be an X-factor for the Dodgers this postseason

After tossing seven scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ 3-1 loss on Sunday, he now has a 2.86 ERA in 72 1/3 innings despite not having a defined role. After missing the first two-and-a-half months of the season while recovering from last season’s Tommy John surgery, he has returned in full force, plugging any gap the Dodgers require.

He’s also the poster child for the Dodgers’ pitching chaos. He’s worked as a starter in 11 of his 14 appearances this year, though he’s gone at least 3 2/3 innings in all of his relief appearances this summer. 

He currently ranks in the 90th percentile or better in chase rate, whiff rate and strikeout rate, and has a 1.48 ERA across 24 1/3 innings in September, which shows how he’s been getting better as the season has gone on. 

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ bullpen is slowly sinking into the earth’s core and becoming more and more of a hazard by the day. 

While Sheehan wouldn’t work as a one-inning reliever in the postseason (we think), he’s a better option than most of the team’s high-leverage relievers. Tanner Scott leads the Dodgers with 22 saves, but he has a 4.64 ERA in what’s become a nightmare season.

Elsewhere, Blake Treinen has an 11.57 ERA in September, which has led to fans calling for him to be left off the postseason roster, while Michael Kopech is on the injured list with a knee injury and could miss the playoffs.

But even if we don’t know what Sheehan’s role will be in the postseason, manager Dave Roberts recently confirmed that he’ll be pitching in October in some capacity. 

“He’s certainly gained a lot of confidence. The pitch-making, the quality of stuff, it’s been a great story this year," Roberts said about Sheehan, per MLB.com’s Sonja Chen. "He’s gonna impact us in the postseason in some capacity."

The Dodgers still have a lot to figure out when it comes to their postseason roster (and won’t have the added benefit of the off days that come with being one of the NL’s top seeds), but having a pitcher like Sheehan in the fold makes things a little bit easier. 

And, if Sunday was any indication, he could end up becoming a cult hero if Los Angeles makes noise in October.