Mookie Betts homers, River Ryan & Emmet Sheehan continue rotation climb

A busy Sunday saw every position player in big league camp getting into a game, plus 12 others as the Dodgers blew out the Cubs 14-8 in Mesa and beat the Rangers 5-3 at Camelback Ranch.

Hyeseong Kim, back from the World Baseball Classic, singled and stole a base in Mesa against the Cubs. Mookie Betts hit his first home run this spring, off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon. Kyle Tucker hit a two-run shot of his own against the Rangers.

Rotation competition

With Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki firmly in the Dodgers rotation, there isn’t room for all three of Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan, and River Ryan to all start games at the beginning of the season. Sheehan and Ryan both started on Sunday, and each made strides toward a potential roster spot.

Ryan continued his impressive spring. After four singles plated a run in the first inning, he allowed only a walk the rest of the way, finishing with five strikeouts in his four innings of work. The issue this year with Ryan will be how the Dodgers will limit his innings after missing all of 2025 after Tommy John surgery. But performance-wise, he’s been the best and most consistent of the three vying for a rotation spot this spring.

Sheehan entered this spring with an inside track toward a rotation spot after a dominant final two months last season, but a flu sidelined him and kept him off the mound for a while. He hasn’t yet been able to fully stretch out, such that his 3 2/3 innings and 66 pitches on Sunday marked the first time Sheehan recorded more than seven outs this spring. A two-run home run in the third inning were the only runs Sheehan allowed on Sunday, but in his three outings and 38 batters faced this spring, he has as many walks (six) as strikeouts.

Welcome aboard

It was twenty-three days ago that the Dodgers claimed Jack Suwinski off waivers from the Pirates, and 13 days since he was sent outright off the 40-man roster. The outfielder was limited to backfield duties thus far at Camelback Ranch, until Sunday when he made the trip to Mesa and started in right field.

His first at-bat with his new team was a three-run home run in the first inning.

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Notes

Ryder Ryan followed his brother River on the mound against the Rangers and pitched his longest outing of the spring with 2 2/3 innings with three strikeouts, and a two-run home run allowed. His 53 pitches were five more than his brother, who recorded four more outs.

Zach Ehrhard hit a two-run triple against the Cubs, and his three triples are tied for the major league lead this spring.

Waiting game

Gavin Stone missed all of last season after shoulder surgery, and after just one start this spring he was shut down with more shoulder soreness. The Dodgers will undoubtedly be cautious with his return, but the right-hander offered a peak into a rough timeline for what’s next.