Dave Roberts' Decision Leaves Door Open for 2 Dodgers Pitchers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently preparing for the 2026 MLB season. Their lineup is going to produce and LA addressed the bullpen during the offseason. While the team's starting rotation features depth, it remains to be seen exactly how everything will look.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the ace and he will lead the way to begin the new campaign. With Blake Snell expected to miss the start of the season, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow will follow Yamamoto in the rotation. It seems as if Roki Sasaki could be the No. 4 starter.

Los Angeles will likely implement a six-man rotation. However, the roles of the final two starters have yet to be determined. According to reporter Bill Plunkett, manager Dave Roberts has yet to officially name a fifth starter.

"Dave Roberts also would not name the fifth starter in the #Dodgers rotation to start the season. That fifth/sixth starter spot will be a hybrid with Emmet Sheehan/Justin Wrobleski starting and/or serving in multi-inning 'piggyback' role as starters get built up," Plunkett shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Sheehan, Wrobleski Looking to Prove They Can Consistently Start Games

While Sheehan and Wrobleski are probably going to technically be part of the rotation, they may not be used in a traditional sense. Serving as an opener or having shorter outings does not scream "future star starting pitcher."

Still, the fact that they are set to be on the big league roster means the door is open. Sheehan and Wrobleski will receive an opportunity to prove they can consistently find success in MLB. If either pitcher performs well, perhaps Roberts will consider having them become a full-time starting pitcher in the future.

Sheehan features the higher ceiling of the two. The 26-year-old turned in a strong 2.82 ERA across 15 outings (12 starts) in 2025.

Wrobleski primarily served as a reliever last year. He pitched to a 4.23 ERA in 24 total appearances (two starts).

Of course, once Snell returns, the Dodgers will have another difficult decision to make. The chances of the team going with a seven-man rotation are obviously slim. The first few weeks of the '26 campaign will be of the utmost importance for Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski as they look to earn permanent roles on the Dodgers' pitching staff.

The Dodgers will play their first game of the regular season on Thursday, March 26 at 8:30 PM EST.