Dodgers top prospect optioned as team reveals Emmet Sheehan injury worse than expected

The Dodgers ultimately fell 6-5 in extras against the Cardinals on Saturday night, but LA put on a show. Mookie Betts, off to the hottest of starts in 2024, hit his fourth home run of the season, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto — after a rough Seoul Series Game 2 start — went five innings, gave up two hits but no runs, and struck out five to quiet naysayers picking on him and his record-breaking contract.

Given the recent blows to LA's pitching staff, the Dodgers need Yamamoto to be as good as he was in Japan. Emmet Sheehan, expected to fall at No. 4 or 5 in the rotation, went onto the 15-day IL to start the season after not pitching at all in spring training due to shoulder soreness. Gavin Stone, starting Sunday's game as the Dodgers wrap up their first stateside series, took his place.

Losing Sheehan was a blow, but his transfer to the 15-day gave fans some hope that he'd be back relatively soon for a proper rookie season. However, his injury is turning out to be more severe than we thought.

Per Fabian Ardaya, Sheehan was moved to the 60-day IL ahead of Sunday's game. Dodgers top prospect Kyle Hurt was also optioned back to the minors, and offseason minor league signing Nabil Crismatt was called up to take his roster spot.

Emmet Sheehan transferred to 60-day IL, Kyle Hurt optioned, Nabil Crismatt called up in flurry of Dodgers roster moves

Sheehan's injury and timeline to return has yet to be expounded upon by Dodgers management, but it does mean that Stone might have a bit more job security if he can continue on the hot streak he started on during spring training and continuing into LA's exhibition game against Team Korea.

Hurt has pitched 4 2/3 innings over two games so far this season. He was shaky in his first appearance, giving up three hits, a walk, and a run. In his second on Saturday, he looked perfect through the eighth and ninth innings, but fell victim to the extra-inning shadow runner in the 10th. Two back-to-back groundouts still scored the Cardinals runner for the run that would eventually win St. Louis the game.

Crismatt, coming up in Hurt's stead, was a ringer out of the Padres bullpen just a few seasons ago and an NRI for the Dodgers this year. He pitched 5 1/3 innings in spring training over six games and, despite some shakiness in the middle two, stabilized to close camp. Crismatt's spot is by no means assured, but he's likely to get his first major league shot since one two-inning for the Diamondbacks last August.