The Spring Training battles: Gavin Stone, Emmet Sheehan, Ryan Yarbrough, Michael Grove
The Dodgers have four spots in the rotation locked up heading into Spring Training, leaving one or probably two openings for some other options.
Young pitchers Stone, Sheehan and Grove all got a look last season, and each of them had their ups and downs. Stone struggled mightily to start his big league career, but his Minor League numbers before this year were eye-popping. Most evaluators believe he’s a pitch away from becoming another viable option.
Sheehan is also another impressive young arm who finished the season on a high note, mostly in relief. The right-hander was called up straight from Double-A Tulsa to make his debut last season, which tells you everything you need to know about how highly the Dodgers view him.
Grove also struggled as a starter, but he could project to be a really solid multi-inning reliever. That’ll be something the Dodgers continue to explore this season, but Grove will begin spring as another starting option.
Then there’s Yarbrough, who has the most experience of the group and gives the Dodgers another left-handed option. Yarbrough had success with the Dodgers after being acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Royals, and he also had a lot of success with Tampa Bay.
With Yamamoto getting adjusted to the Majors, Glasnow having a long track record of injuries and Miller making another innings jump, it’s very possible that the Dodgers will open the season with a six-man rotation, opening some opportunities for this group.
Who backs them up: Kyle Hurt, Landon Knack, Nick Frasso, River Ryan
The Dodgers are going to need a couple of these pitchers to make a jump this season. Hurt is the only one with a taste of the Majors. He struck out the side in his first big league inning last season, and he would likely be the first man up on this list. Knack has long been on prospects lists, but this is the season when the Dodgers need to figure out how much they can rely on him when they need innings.
Most teams use more than 10 starters in a season, so you can expect at least one or two of these highly touted prospects to come up at some point.