LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers on Sunday recalled Emmet Sheehan to rejoin the rotation and start the series finale against the Astros. Reliever Jack Littlle was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Sheehan was optioned on June 19 after only one start in his return from Tommy John surgery, sending him down to Triple-A to further stretch out after only topping out at four innings to that point.
The Dodgers kept Justin Wrobleski, who has a 3.45 ERA in 15⅔ innings and two wins in his three games since then, and used Sheehan’s roster spot to cycle through relief pitchers to continually replenish their supply of fresh arms. In the 14 games in between Sheehan appearances in the majors, the Dodgers have used Jack Little, Will Klein, Luis García, and Noah Davis for a combined seven appearances from that one roster spot to cover 9⅓ innings that other relievers didn’t have to pitch.
It didn’t always go well, but that’s the nature of the role.
Little was just called up Saturday and pitched a scoreless inning in the middle game of the series. Both of his major league stints to date have lasted one day, and he’s pitched in both games.