TORONTO — Dave Roberts sounded measured and confident at his World Series Media Day scrum in Toronto. The Dodgers’ manager worked through roster logistics, weighed experience against fresh excitement, and touched on how his club managed the long season to arrive here with healthy starters. He also spoke about Clayton Kershaw’s status, what he expects from Shohei Ohtani, and a quick conversation with a young outfielder about freeing the mind at the plate.
First up was bullpen news. With Alex Vesia away from the team with his wife, Roberts said the front office is “in the mode of trying to understand the process, the rules, a way that we could navigate the roster.” He noted there’s a deadline “around 10:00 tomorrow” to finalize decisions and that they’re “going through the process of trying to backfill his spot on the roster.” As for any timetable, he kept it open-ended: “We’re just going day to day with really no expectations.”
UPDATE: As of Friday, it looks like Vesia won’t be available for the World Series, as the Dodgers opted not to put him on Emergency Family Leave, which suggests that the problem whatever it is, might not be resolved before the series ends.
On the broader World Series vibe—veterans versus newcomers—Roberts made room for both sides. “We’re very excited to be here as well,” he said, while acknowledging you could argue “the inexperience is a good thing.” Experience, though, has value over a longer series: “The ability to manage moments, your heartbeat, is advantageous,” he said, adding, “I think that we’re equipped to play well and we’re facing a very good ball club.”
A question about a recent chat with Andy drew a nod toward support and approach. Roberts said they were “talking about some approach stuff at the bat,” calling the outfielder “valuable” for his defense in center and saying, “I just see him getting some big hits for us.” The message was as much mental as mechanical: “Free him up mentally… letting him know I’m supporting him and I still believe in him.” He added that the short layoff can help younger players: “Confidence is something you’ve always got to keep an eye on… to not have to get hits and take some time… there’s some good to that for Andy for sure.”
Clayton Kershaw’s role brought a careful answer. “I would love to get Clayton in there at some point,” Roberts said, with a quick reminder about priorities: “I’m going to pitch the best players I feel are the best in that particular moment.” He confirmed the obvious next piece—“He’s on the roster”—and moved on.
Shohei Ohtani’s outlook felt optimistic. Roberts said he hopes this World Series is “completely different” from last year’s injury-limited version. Having Ohtani healthy is “a great thing,” and that last game’s momentum is something to build on. The plan hinges on discipline: “They’re going to pitch him careful, and he’s just got to be smart. If he’s disciplined then it should bode well for him and for all of us.” Even when he isn’t swinging, Roberts said opponents feel him: “You feel Sho when he’s in the hole, let alone on deck or in the batter’s box… he has the ability to impact the game.”
The road to October with a pitching staff that had histories to manage took planning, not push. “That was the goal… how do we get these guys to be at optimal performance toward the end of the season,” Roberts said. The Dodgers chose not to “redline” or “shorten rehabs” to chase regular-season totals. “We had other guys step up, younger players fill innings,” he said, which allowed them to “build guys up the right way to then have them ready to go.” None of it was accidental: “It was a calculated decision, but the cost was in the regular season, we just weren’t optimal throughout the summer.”
Asked to label the matchup as David versus Goliath, Roberts shrugged off the frame. “We’ve got really good players, they’ve got really good players,” he said. “The great thing about baseball is anything can happen… we’re expecting a battle.” On the rotation’s quality relative to his career, he was bullish while keeping history in mind: “As a player and coach, it’s the best rotation I’ve been a part of,” he said, while noting “the Braves in the ’90s” set a Hall of Fame bar. For this run, the guiding idea is simple: “Let your best pitchers take down the most outs… it kind of sets everything else up.”
There were nuts-and-bolts items, too. On a likely Game 3 and Game 4 alignment, he said they “haven’t completely landed on that one, but most likely” it’s Tyler Glasnow for three and Shohei Ohtani for four. On the roster more generally: “We’re going to go similar… there might be a couple little tweaks.” And he smiled through a follow-up about “ruining baseball,” clarifying he was “just having a little fun” with critics and that “baseball is in a great place right now… this is going to be a great World Series.”
Finally, Roberts compared this club to last year’s group. “Yes, I do” think the team is stronger, he said, citing “Sho being healthy,” starters “in much better shape,” and a position-player group that’s “healthy.” When asked if he expects his starters to go deep, the answer came quick: “I do. I expect them to pitch well.”
The tone fit the moment: roster puzzles to solve, confidence in the rotation, and respect for the opponent across the diamond. Roberts threaded those points together with a steady refrain about readiness and roles. “We’re equipped to play well,” he said, and the way he framed health, usage, and poise suggested why he believes it.
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