LOS ANGELES -- Rehabbing from Tommy John surgery is a long road, and Emmet Sheehan is nearly at the end.
Sheehan was back at Dodger Stadium ahead of Saturday's game against the Giants, and he's expected to make his next start for the Dodgers. The 25-year-old right-hander will throw a bullpen session on Sunday, after which the team will figure out when it could make sense to activate him from the 60-day injured list.
Manager Dave Roberts did not make Sheehan's imminent return official, although the team could certainly use another arm in the rotation to close out the homestand. As with any pitcher returning from a major surgery, it's unclear what exactly the Dodgers can expect to get out of Sheehan. But the organization has been very encouraged by how he's come out of his rehab.
"I think that coming off Tommy John, you just really don't know what to expect," Roberts said, "but I think that we saw a little bit of it in Spring Training. And then all the reports from that point to now have just been really positive every time out. He's been holding his stuff, and with the physicality … it'll be a nice infusion, if it works out."
Sheehan hasn't pitched in a big league game since his rookie season in 2023, when he went 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA across 13 games (11 starts). He began '24 on the injured list and ended up having Tommy John surgery in May of that year.
Thirteen months post-op, Sheehan is looking forward to being a contributor for the Dodgers. He made four Minor League rehab starts, most recently stretching out to 3 1/3 innings on 63 pitches on Thursday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He's expected to be good for around four innings in his next outing.
"I feel like [my stuff is] pretty close to what it was before," Sheehan said. "Command was the thing I was a little worried about coming back, because I know that some people struggle with that, but it's been really good so far."
Sheehan should be on turn to make a start during the upcoming four-game set against the Padres at Dodger Stadium. He could pitch Tuesday on five days' rest or Wednesday on six days' rest.
The Dodgers' rotation took another hit when Tony Gonsolin became the most recent starter to go on the IL on June 7, but the team has gained more clarity on its pitching staff in recent days. Ben Casparius is joining Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May in the rotation, and Sheehan will round out the group once he's back.
In the past week, Tyler Glasnow faced hitters and Blake Snell resumed throwing bullpen sessions, a step forward for both of them. Shohei Ohtani continued facing hitters and upped his workload to three innings. There's still a long way to go until the Dodgers' rotation is back at full strength, but recent developments have been promising.
And the impending return of Sheehan could provide a boost in the short term.
"I feel like at any point, I'm just trying to contribute and do whatever my part is on the team, whatever they need," Sheehan said. "Right now, it's definitely nice to come back around when they seem like they kind of need someone."