Dodgers Interview: Dave Roberts Gives Mookie Betts Status Update After 2026 Debut

CAMELBACK RANCH, AZ — Dave Roberts liked what he saw from Mookie Betts in his first spring game Sunday at Camelback Ranch, and the big thing was simply getting him back in the flow as the Dodgers keep building him up for Opening Day. “We’ve done a nice job with Mookie,” Roberts said. “It was good to see him out there. He’ll play tomorrow, so he’ll take three at-bats tomorrow. Just building him up, thoughtfully, is important for him. His weight’s where he needs to be, strength, all that stuff. And so I feel like we can build him up, get him ready into the season.”

Roberts also said he’s seen the mentality Betts talked about last year carry right into the winter and the start of camp. Roberts framed it as a mix of experience and growth, with Betts putting his personal line in the background and keeping the bigger goal in front of him. “He’s done everything he can do individually, and now he’s just trying to win championships,” Roberts said. “Last year, the way he struggled offensively, but to put that aside to help us win was most important. To see it play out as such, I think that validated his thoughts. I do like his outlook… just play to win and be on the field, and I think the performance will be better for it.”

When he was asked what he learned about Betts during that stretch last season, Roberts pointed to how rare it is to watch a player of Betts’ caliber grind through that kind of year and still keep the team-first focus steady. “He’s never struggled like that,” Roberts said. “It’s one of those things that you either spiral and try to find it individually, or you keep grinding and working, but put the team success at the forefront. I think I learned that he could find a way to compartmentalize essentially a lost offensive season, in his words, and then kind of just redirect. That’s not easy. That was the first time I think we’ve all seen him struggle like that.”

Dave expects a different looking year from Betts at the plate, and he tied that to health, rhythm, and having a clearer runway than he did a year ago. “Getting off to a good start this year… having a good offseason, a healthy offseason,” Roberts said. “Hopefully we can keep the weight up and he doesn’t get sick like he did last spring, and go from there. I would expect him not to struggle like he did last year. I don’t think age is a factor. I think he’s in a really good spot right now.” Roberts also added that Betts’ comfort at shortstop has come a long way, which should help him settle into being himself again. “Trying to get a handle on shortstop was really important to him and to us, but I feel he’s got a really good grasp on shortstop now,” Roberts said. “So he can just kind of do that and continue to be the offensive threat that he’s been his entire career.”

Pitching Notes

Doc also had a couple updates on his pitching staff. He said Kyle Hurt is “in the mix” for what’s become a crowded late-inning picture, and he sounded genuinely impressed with the confidence Hurt has shown so far. “He’s a guy that gets left and right out,” Roberts said. “I see a real confidence with Kyle now that I hadn’t seen… up until this spring. He’s thrown the baseball really well… that velocity, the changeup, there’s a breaking ball in there. He’s right on the cusp and he’s certainly in the conversation.”

On Bobby Miller, Roberts said the focus right now is simply getting him competing again, with a shorter-burst role making sense as he builds back up. “With Bobby, we just got to get him back to pitching,” Roberts said. “There was some shoulder soreness, so he was kind of slowly ramping up. I think it’s more of a short burst situation… getting him to find some success again, get some hitters out.”

And on Roki Sasaki, Roberts watched his bullpen closely with a specific purpose: fastball command. “The intent was to command the fastball, and I thought I saw a lot of good throws,” Roberts said, adding that elevated fastballs get punished in the big leagues and the standard has to be clear. “I really wanted to watch Roki… as far as the command of the fastball and making sure that we’re aligned that that’s the standard… we got a lot out of today.” He also noted the rest of the mix looked good, too: “The split, the breaking ball, they were all good today.” As for the more noticeable grunts on each pitch, Roberts shrugged and smiled at it a bit. “Maybe,” he said. “It’s max effort… when he pitches, whether it’s a pen or in a game, it’s max effort. You’re going to hear those grunts for sure.”

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