Tue Oct 07 00:10:00 UTC 2025: **Dodgers Prep for Wild Card, Sheehan to Bolster Bullpen**
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers are gearing up for a best-of-three Wild Card series beginning Tuesday, with their sights set on repeating as World Series champions. Their opponent will be either the Cincinnati Reds or the New York Mets.
As the postseason approaches, Manager Dave Roberts is finalizing roster decisions, including a strategic shift for rookie pitcher Emmet Sheehan. Roberts announced Friday that Sheehan will transition to a bullpen role, offering a potentially valuable one-inning option for the Dodgers in the Wild Card series.
“Since we clinched, then we could look forward to the postseason and align with the pitching,” Roberts told reporters, emphasizing the focus on deploying the strongest pitching options. “Kind of assessing Emmet and how we can make him viable for the Wild Card series and the best way to do that is to shorten him up. He’ll come out of the pen and he’ll be ready to go on Tuesday for whatever’s asked of him.”
Sheehan, who boasts a 2.82 ERA and a 6-3 record as a starter this season, will add depth to a Dodgers bullpen that has struggled with a 4.28 team ERA, ranking tenth-highest in MLB. The move is more a reflection of the Dodgers’ formidable starting rotation – including Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, than a demotion for the promising young pitcher.
Snell, Yamamoto, and Ohtani are expected to be the starting rotation for the Wild Card Series, in that order.
The Dodgers are also dealing with a recent injury to Max Muncy. The impact Sheehan can make in his new role will be closely watched as Los Angeles embarks on its postseason journey.
First Piper 