Dodgers’ Emmet Sheehan’s immediate future uncertain with forearm injury

Sheehan has been shut down from throwing multiple times due to forearm discomfort. He remains optimistic that he will return soon but the Dodgers are not sure when he might be available.

LOS ANGELES — Emmet Sheehan says his shoulder is fine. It has been all along.

A misunderstanding during spring training led to reports that Sheehan had been shut down with a sore shoulder. That was an error.

“It was never the shoulder,” he said Monday. “I said my arm, I think. I was confused why there was shoulder out there. I didn’t think I said that. Maybe I did.”

Instead, it was Sheehan’s forearm that was causing him pain, led to him opening the season on the 60-day injured list and has created a very uncertain immediate future for the 24-year-old right-hander.

Sheehan said a recent MRI showed no damage to his flexor tendons and “just forearm inflammation.” But Dodgers sources indicate there are differing opinions on just how serious Sheehan’s injury is or when he might be able to pitch again.

“He’s a ways away,” was all Dodgers manager Dave Roberts would say about Sheehan.

The right-hander has been shut down from throwing multiple times since reporting to spring training.

“Just didn’t bounce back too well from a certain bullpen,” Sheehan said of the original problem in early March. “I think it was just over time, fatigue. Then I tried to come back and didn’t bounce back too well again.”

After re-starting his throwing program, Sheehan progressed to facing hitters in a live batting practice session. That’s when he was shut down again. Though he optimistically said he hopes to start throwing again this week, it remains to be seen whether the Dodgers’ medical staff will clear him to do that – or whether the forearm discomfort will return.

Sheehan said he has had “forearm stuff before so it wasn’t too scary to me” when this problem popped up in the spring.

“It was just annoying to have to deal with it,” he said.

Sheehan acknowledged that his status is “a little up in the air.” But he said he is not looking at this season as potentially being a lost year.

“No definitely not,” Sheehan said. “My main goal is just to contribute to us winning the World Series. There’s still time for that.”

ROSTER MOVES

The Dodgers’ pitching staff will be getting some fresh arms over the next few days.

In the first move, right-hander J.P. Feyereisen was optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City before Monday’s game and right-hander Ricky Vanasco was recalled.

Vanasco, 25, was an oft-injured starting pitcher during his days as a prospect in the Texas Rangers’ minor-league system. Since joining the Dodgers last season, he has pitched out of the bullpen and has been successful in that role. This season, he had a 2.25 ERA and three saves in four appearances for Oklahoma City. If he gets into a game for the Dodgers, it will be his major-league debut.

Right-hander Kyle Hurt was also in the Dodgers’ clubhouse before Monday’s game and is expected to be activated over the next day or two. Hurt has made two appearances with the Dodgers in previous callups, allowing two runs (one earned) in 4⅔ innings.

Hurt will likely factor into a bullpen game the Dodgers have planned for either Tuesday or Wednesday. Right-hander Landon Knack is expected to be recalled from OKC as well and start one of those two days, effectively replacing Bobby Miller (on the IL with shoulder inflammation) in the starting rotation.

ALSO

Roberts said Jason Heyward (on the IL with a lower back injury) has begun to increase his “baseball activities” but there is still “residual soreness.” Heyward will go on a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment before rejoining the Dodgers.

UP NEXT

Nationals (LHP Patrick Corbin, 0-2, 8.44 ERA) at Dodgers (TBA), Tuesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market only), 570 AM