The Los Angeles Dodgers’ blockbuster acquisition of Tarik Skubal initially looked like an overwhelming team adding another luxury. Less than 24 hours later, Emmet Sheehan offered a reminder that the move also addressed a legitimate concern.
The timing made the front office’s logic clearer as the Dodgers prepare to pursue a third consecutive championship in October.
According to the Los Angeles Times’ Joaquin Ruiz, Sheehan allowed five runs and six hits in only 2.2 innings during Sunday’s 8-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Boston scored twice in a 30-pitch first inning before Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida took Sheehan deep during a four-batter stretch in the third.
“It was bad execution,” Sheehan said. “I just missed my spots.”
The outing was more complicated than the pitching line suggested. Sheehan struck out four and generated 12 whiffs on 28 swings, an excellent 43% rate. His four-seam fastball produced seven of those misses, while his slider generated four more.
However, the quality of the pitches slipped. Sheehan’s fastball averaged 93.3 mph, down 1.1 mph from his season mark, and his slider averaged 85.6 mph, one full tick below its usual velocity. Missing bats means little when the mistakes that do get hit leave the ballpark.
Sheehan’s Season Has Become Difficult to Trust
GettyEmmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on August 02, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Sunday dropped Sheehan to 4-8 with a 5.29 ERA, 108 strikeouts and a 1.29 WHIP over 95.1 innings. He owns a 6.39 ERA across his past seven starts, and the Dodgers have lost each of his last five outings.
There remains enough beneath the surface to prevent Los Angeles from giving up on the 26-year-old. Baseball Savant credits him with a 3.96 expected ERA, a 26.2% strikeout rate and a solid 7.3% walk rate. Those numbers suggest his performance has not been as poor as his ERA indicates.
The contact profile still creates October-sized concern. Opponents have hit 20 home runs against Sheehan, and his 10.5% barrel rate sits well above the 7.6% MLB average. His four-seamer has been the primary problem: hitters have slugged .631 against it, and Statcast grades the pitch at minus-nine runs this season.
Tarik Skubal Gives Dodgers Certainty Sheehan Cannot
GettyTarik Skubal of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on in the dugout against the Boston Red Sox during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 02, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
That is what makes Skubal more than a glamorous deadline addition. The two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner arrives with a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts and gives the Dodgers another starter capable of controlling a postseason game without requiring perfect offensive support.
With Blake Snell also nearing his season debut, Sheehan appears vulnerable to losing his rotation spot. He could remain valuable as depth or transition into a different role, especially given the Dodgers’ extensive injury history.
Los Angeles did not acquire Skubal because Sheehan lacks talent. It acquired him because October is the wrong time to wonder whether a gifted but inconsistent starter will rediscover his command before one bad inning ends a season.
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