Emmet Sheehan thinks he’s figured out velocity issues in rough early start for Dodgers

Emmet Sheehan is still getting his body in sync through two starts in 2026 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Following his debut start, in which Sheehan allowed five hits and four earned runs across 3 1/3 innings, the right-hander admitted that his timing still isn't right, but that he's getting close.

Sheehan's velocity has suffered as a result of his rusty mechanics. It's something that Dodgers observers noticed in spring training, and it's carried over into the start of the regular season. In Sheehan's second start on Friday, Washington Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams had no problem with Sheehan's 94 mph fastball, sending it deep into the right-field seats for a three-run shot in the first inning.

Emmet Sheehan is still a work in progress, but the Dodgers are okay with that

Sheehan and his velocity are still rounding into form, but his comments after the debut start revealed a process-oriented pitcher who is sure to improve throughout 2026, health provided.

Despite allowing another four runs on Friday (resulting in an 8.00 ERA through two starts), Sheehan picked up the win against Washington thanks to bounteous run support from the Dodgers, who were slugging like crazy at Nationals Park in their new blue uniforms.

Sheehan is now 1-0 on the season with eight strikeouts, a 1.89 WHIP, and the aforementioned 8.00 ERA through nine innings of work.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knows that he must be patient with Sheehan, who is still less than two years removed from Tommy John surgery. When you combine Sheehan's youth (26 years old) with the fact that the Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches on their pitching staff, not to mention an explosive lineup capable of overcoming an imperfect effort from their starting pitcher on any given day, Roberts can afford to throw Sheehan into the fire and let him work through some stuff.

If Sheehan fails to improve after a collection of starts, Roberts can reassess. This is the strategy Roberts took with Roki Sasaki last season (arguably, this season as well). Given LA's massive margin for error, Roberts was okay with experimenting with Sasaki for a stretch, even amid obvious struggles.

Sheehan's shown legitimate potential since his 2023 debut. He was solid in 2025, too, once returning from rehab: 6-3 with a 2.82 ERA and 89 strikeouts across 15 outings in the regular season. He wasn't as effective in the postseason, and that leads to the next challenge for Sheehan: he needs to establish some consistency.

Roberts and the Dodgers' leadership believe that Sheehan can do that, especially as Sheehan moves further and further away from his surgery date. He's working hard behind the scenes to get his timing back to peak levels, and it won't be surprising if Sheehan hits a special stride by May.