Dodgers Interview: Roberts meets media prior to key Giants series
"We’re going to have our work cut out.”
LOS ANGELES — As the Dodgers prepare to host the San Francisco Giants for the first time in 2025, manager Dave Roberts didn’t shy away from the significance of the series — even if he’s grown used to every opponent treating a Dodgers matchup like a rivalry.
At the center of the series opener: a marquee pitching duel between two of the National League’s best. Logan Webb, the Giants’ workhorse and Opening Day starter, takes the mound against Dodgers rookie sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“When I see this pitching matchup, what comes to mind is two of the game’s better pitchers,” Roberts said. “Logan’s certainly done it for quite some time — very consistent, a good taste of baseball, really good competitor. We’re going to have our work cut out.”
Yamamoto, meanwhile, has steadily proven his place among MLB’s top arms in his debut season. “We’ve seen Yosh kind of — I don’t even want to say rise to the occasion — but try to go toe-to-toe with other star pitchers,” Roberts said, noting his confidence in Yamamoto’s ability to match up against anyone. Facing a heavily right-handed Giants lineup, Roberts emphasized the importance of Yamamoto getting ahead in counts and being efficient. “On days when either Yoshi or Logan pitch, you’re hoping for length. We’re in a good spot with the pen, but this is a night you want your starter to go deep.”
The matchup comes at a pivotal time in the NL West race. The Giants enter the series just one game behind the Dodgers. Though Roberts downplayed the idea that the rivalry holds special meaning for him personally — “Probably not,” he said with a laugh — he acknowledged that Dodgers-Giants still holds weight.
“When you peel back a layer and look at the great games — Dodgers versus Giants is always exciting, certainly for fans who’ve been a part of this rivalry for generations,” he said. “They’re playing good baseball and have found ways to win. It’s going to be a good series.”
Despite missing key contributors like Matt Chapman and Patrick Bailey, Roberts praised the Giants’ pitching and run prevention. “They’ve stayed relatively healthy with their starters. Their relievers have been good. They catch the baseball. They’ve done a really good job preventing runs.”
The Dodgers’ own pitching staff continues to trend in the right direction. Tyler Glasnow threw a simulated game today, which Roberts attended in person. “The velocity was there, the swing and miss, the delivery — Tyler was really excited,” Roberts said. “There’ll be another sim game next week. It’s very promising.”
The club hopes to build Glasnow up to “five and 75” (five innings, 75 pitches) before a potential rehab assignment. Blake Treinen and Blake Snell also threw bullpen sessions, with Snell’s fastball reportedly “crispy” and Treinen expected to face hitters soon. “It’s been a good day for us,” Roberts said of the staff’s progress.
Asked about pitching prospect Sheehan, who went just 3.1 innings in his latest outing, Roberts was noncommittal. “The stuff was better than the line score. We’re still deciding what’s next — whether he needs another one [minor league start] or joins us.”
Roberts also touched on the continued rehab for Shohei Ohtani, who is building back toward mound readiness. While there’s no strict minimum workload required before Ohtani can pitch, Roberts acknowledged, “Probably two innings — but that’s not set in stone. Anything we get from Shohei on the mound is additive.”
Meanwhile, Japanese phenom Rōki Sasaki remains in a holding pattern. “He’s just trying to keep his arm moving,” Roberts said. “I don’t think he’s in a place where he can add the intensity. There’s no pain, necessarily, but it’s about confidence in the shoulder.”
Though the schedule has quirks — including the fact that the Dodgers are just now seeing the Padres and Giants for the first time in mid-June — Roberts isn’t too concerned. “It’s certainly not ideal, but it doesn’t really matter,” he said. “A lot of teams are going through it. I like the balanced schedule overall. It’s good to play all the different teams — I think it’s good for fans, too.”
That balance will be tested immediately, with the red-hot Giants followed by another four-game set against San Diego. “It’s a really critical stretch,” Roberts said. “You look at the schedule, you see the opponents, and you want to keep trudging along and play good baseball. We’ve managed it pretty well so far.”
Roberts wrapped the pregame session reflecting on Clayton Kershaw, who has long dominated the Giants and is expected to start later in the series. “He’s done some really good ballgames against those guys,” Roberts said. “He always gets up for the Giants, and coming off how he threw last time, I think he’s really encouraged. I’m looking forward to seeing him build on that.”
With the Giants hot on their heels and a tough homestand ahead, the Dodgers are entering a pivotal point in the season — and it starts with a battle of aces under the lights at Chavez Ravine.
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