Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan underwent surgery on his right elbow to repair his ulnar collateral ligament, ending his 2024 season.
Sheehan’s buildup to joining the Dodgers wasn’t going as well as hoped, which push the 24-year-old and the organization to opt for the Tommy John procedure. He was present at Dodger Stadium on Monday, when he discussed how helpful his teammates have been and if they’ve given useful advice.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Sheehan said. “I mean, they’ve been a huge help. From Shohei, Tony, Tyler, everybody has been awesome, which has helped me through the process and trying to make the decision of when to get it and who to go with, all that stuff a lot easier.”
The list of arms on the Dodgers who’ve had the same procedure is long, and the track record the franchise has of guiding pitchers following surgery is top-tier.
Sheehan mentioned that he’s received advice from teammates in a number of ways, whether it’s him whose looked for knowledge, or they’ve come to him.
“A little bit of both,” he added”. “Some guys you go up and ask them about it. Some guys, they come up and say ‘hey, I’ve been through this before and this is how it was for me.’ So it’s been great.”
The Dodgers are luck to have the emergence of other arms on the roster to withstand the loss Sheehan, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Clayton Kershaw, allowing a proper return from a very impactful elbow surgery.
When will we see Emmet Sheehan back with the Dodgers?
There was ‘some’ hope that Sheehan could return this season, perhaps at the backend. But, his decision to undergo Tommy John surgery is a season lost for the young pitcher.
He’s likely to miss a good portion of next year, as well, but his rehab process will guide his timeline in returning to the Dodgers.
For instance, the Dodgers just saw Walker Buehler return, albeit it was his second elbow surgery, but his road back was long.
