Dodgers Interview: Dave Roberts updates media on player health, roster construction
PHILADELPHIA — The Dodgers touched down in Philadelphia with a plan, a few moving parts, and a manager keeping it straightforward. Dave Roberts covered Will Smith’s status, how the rotation lines up, and why Roki Sasaki’s poise might lift the entire bullpen.
“He’s getting better each day,” Roberts said of Will Smith. “He’s going to participate in live batting practice shortly. We’ll gather more information, but if it goes well, we’ll carry three catchers.” He kept expectations realistic. “As far as availability, not sure yet, but he will be available to catch. We’re just trying to be mindful of not having caught in a long time and looking at the series and the capacity he could take on. We’re expecting this live BP to go well, him active, and then we’ll figure it out from there.”
Asked about how the Phillies’ construction nudges his roster choices, Roberts didn’t dodge the obvious. “It is a factor,” he said of potentially loading up the pen with left-handed pitching. “Their lineup lends itself to more left-handed pitching, but we still have to be good against those guys. The truth is some of their guys, Schwarber in particular, are agnostic.” He also pointed to flexibility. “The ability to counter with a right-handed starter with guys on the bench matters.”
Shohei Ohtani gets the ball first. “He’s going to start tomorrow,” Roberts said. “I don’t see him going on short rest or pitching out of the pen. It could change as the series evolves, but right now it’s lock in on Game One and see where he’s at after that game.” On workload, the leash is earned, not gifted. “It’s contingent on how they’re throwing the baseball,” he said of Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Snell. “It’s easy to say they’re our most talented arms and you want them throwing the majority of the innings, but it’s the stress and how they’re throwing. I’ve been known to push guys. If they earn it and I’m seeing it, I will. If not, we have other guys we’ll go to.”
Don’t expect to see his top three doubling as swingmen. “I don’t think you’re talking about Yamamoto, Snell, Sho pitching in relief,” Roberts said. “But we’ve got Glasnow on the roster. He’ll be available in Game One. Having that length is huge for us, and with Emmet’s ability and length, we’ve already done that.” He confirmed the shape of the series. “We’re thinking Snell then Yamamoto,” he said when pressed on Game Two and Three. “Having the ability for Glasnow to be available Game One is huge, and then to pitch a potential Game Four is also huge.”
Clayton Kershaw is in the fight, just in a new lane. “He’ll be on the roster,” Roberts said. “He’s going to be out of the pen and used as such.”
Roki Sasaki’s role sounds wide open. “I would put him in a save situation,” Roberts said. “The way he’s handled himself, there’s been no sign the moment is too big. I have full confidence in whatever leverage role we put him in.” Roberts hopes the ripple effect is real. “I think so. I hope it energizes the guys in the pen and motivates them,” he said. “Everyone wants innings and opportunities, and hopefully what Roki’s done motivates guys to go after hitters and pitch well so they can earn those opportunities as well.”
Philadelphia may stack lefties. Roberts leaned into the challenge without blinking. “The positives are you get consistency of who you’re running out there,” he said. “There’ll be a couple tweaks with our lineups, but the challenges are those three arms are very good arms if you’re referring to those lefties potentially starting against us. They’re each different. Our lefties do a good job of using the whole field, handling spin, fighting off velocity. We’re equipped to handle left-handed or right-handed pitching. We’ve got a really talented lineup.”
The bottom half of that lineup just carried weight. “Our five through nine hitters hit .400 last series,” he said. “They eliminated the punch. They won a lot of tough pitches and hit to all fields. When you can use the whole field, spoil pitches, and bleed into the top of the order, you get good things happening.”
As for Ohtani’s ramp-up, Roberts liked what he saw in that late-September start at Citizens Bank Park. “That was the first time he looked out of rehab mode and back to being a true starting pitcher,” he said. “He even said right before that start he was out of rehab mode. You were playing a very talented team in the Phillies, and you saw a really good Sho that night.” The meter is set to green. “He’s already gone through six, which is something we wanted,” Roberts said. “If it’s six, it could be seven. It’s all contingent on how he’s throwing. He’s ready for this moment. Treat him like a regular pitcher.”
Roberts also circled back to the bullpen tone-setter. “Him being back on the major league roster was the most important thing,” he said of Sasaki. “He’s healthy. He’s throwing the baseball well. That was a big boost to his confidence. The Wild Card part, he’s in a good headspace. He’s very confident right now, and whatever postseason game, I don’t think it’s going to affect his confidence. He’s in a great spot.”
The press came away from Roberts availability with a few main ideas: get Will Smith active if the live BP cooperates, start Shohei in Game One, line up Snell and Yamamoto with Glasnow floating for length and a possible Game Four, lean on Kershaw in relief, and hand leverage to the hottest arms. “We’ll figure it out from there,” Roberts said. “Lock in on Game One and go.”
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