Within the Los Angeles Dodgers there are no more doubts heading into Opening Day. Alex Freeland beat out Hyeseong Kim and made the roster, while Dave Roberts has recently cleared up the mystery surrounding the team’s starting rotation.
The rotation aiming for a historic three-peat
After the exhibition game the Dodgers played in the Freeway Series, manager Dave Roberts confirmed who his starting pitchers will be, though not the order in which they will be used.
Roberts mentioned Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Emmet Sheehan, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani in that order, with Yamamoto already confirmed as the Opening Day starter.
Now, Sheehan could start the second game of the season to follow the organization’s planned rest schedule, although Glasnow could make a start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 27 with a traditional four days of rest.
It is very likely that Sheehan takes the middle game, while Glasnow handles the series finale. If that plan holds, Roki Sasaki, scheduled to pitch Monday night, would be lined up to make his 2026 season debut against the Cleveland Guardians on March 30.
So, Shohei Ohtani‘s debut would come the following day, coinciding with the “Yoshi” bobblehead promotion organized by the Dodgers.
Meanwhile, Justin Wrobleski profiles as the team’s swingman, currently outside the main group of starters.
Looking ahead to the medium term, and once the roster is fully healthy, the Dodgers project a six-man rotation made up of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki.
Even so, the situation is not set in stone. The performance of Sheehan and Sasaki could lead to adjustments in the rotation, and in Sheehan’s case, the organization will likely manage his workload carefully, considering this will be his first full season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Read the full article here
