The Los Angeles Dodgers have had a shaky opening day rotation, especially with injuries on the decline and players departing for the World Baseball Classic.
Assuming everyone stays healthy, the Dodgers’ rotation will include Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Roku Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani as of early March.
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Yamamoto and Ohtani are the bigger question marks as they will be competing in intense baseball competition and their competitive nature opens the door to a big game.
Roberts said Snell isn’t ready for Opening Day, and Gavin Stone has stopped pitching, keeping him out for the first part of the season.
March 1, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Camelback Ranch in Glendale. Mandatory photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
If they go with a five-man rotation, that would leave at least one spot open, but the more likely outcome is a six-man rotation, which would leave two spots open.
Three players are vying for a rotation spot – Justin Wrobleski, River Ryan and Emmett Sheehan. This is a case for each of them.
Emmett Sheehan
The right-hander was solid in the 2025 regular season after returning from injury. He pitched in 15 games, totaling 73.1 innings, with a 2.82 ERA.
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He had 89 strikeouts and 22 walks, a good ratio, and a well-rounded arsenal of weapons that gave him options.
However, his success didn’t translate into the postseason, as he posted an 8.59 ERA in 7.1 innings.
Sheehan hasn’t been in great shape in spring training, missing time and preparation due to illness, and he looked terrible in his first relief appearance Wednesday.
He pitched 1.1 innings in this game, allowing one earned run, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth inning.
Considering he’s only 26 years old, Sheen still has plenty of upside and people around baseball are hoping he can break out, although he’ll need to prove he’s ready in the spring or risk missing out on another worthy prospect.
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Justin Wrobleski
After a rough season in a long-relief situation, Wrobleski bounced back into form in the postseason, allowing five scoreless innings, most notably in Game 7 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dave Roberts said his postseason run earned him a chance to start again despite posting a -0.1 bWAR in a 66.2-inning sample during the 2025 regular season.
He got off to a good start in spring training, pitching 3.0 innings, allowing two outs, giving up just one hit and no runs.
While many thought he was a backup-level arm, Wrobleski is proving his doubters wrong, with the southpaw offering something unique as a southpaw among a group of right-handed hitters at nearly 26 years old.
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Even if he doesn’t make the Opening Day rotation, he should provide plenty of innings for Dave Roberts and company.
Ruian River
Ryan, the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect who has been out of baseball for more than a year, is now 27 years old and it’s time for him to make an impact in the major leagues.
Ryan pitched 20.1 innings with a 1.33 ERA in 2024 and looked promising before an elbow injury required Tommy John surgery.
With a good pitch mix and his fastball looking dynamic, Ryan is in a good position to deserve serious consideration, especially once the spring starts.
He has thrown three innings without allowing an earned run, and his fastball looks good and the changeup makes his pitch look dangerous.
