WEBVTT - Dave Roberts (9-22-26) 

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<v Speaker 1>And now, an exclusive interview with David Basset for Dodger Talk.

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<v Speaker 1>It's the manager's meeting with Dave Roberts, presented by Downey Hyundai.

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<v Speaker 1>After a great day off yesterday, the Dodgers now getting

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<v Speaker 1>ready for the final six regular season games, starting with

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<v Speaker 1>the San Diego Padres. Dave, thanks a lot for the time,

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<v Speaker 1>and always great to be able to catch up with you.

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<v Speaker 2>No, Dave, this is great. You know, I went home

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<v Speaker 2>for the off-day game, Got to recharge, reset, and I'm

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<v Speaker 2>excited about this series. You know, these guys always play

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<v Speaker 2>us tough, and you look across Major League Baseball right now,

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<v Speaker 2>they're playing as good a baseball as anyone. So it's

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<v Speaker 2>going to be a great three-game set.

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<v Speaker 1>When you look at these three games, you always remind

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<v Speaker 1>us this means nothing in October, but all of a

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<v Speaker 1>sudden now there's a chance you may see this team

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<v Speaker 1>in October. What do you take away? Do you try

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<v Speaker 1>to hide anything from these guys?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I think that's a fair question. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>think we're going to try to hide anything. I think,

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<v Speaker 2>if anything, you're just trying to gather information because, as

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<v Speaker 2>you said, there's a potential that we might see these

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<v Speaker 2>guys in a week to 10 days. And this is

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<v Speaker 2>real-time information. So I think that we're still trying to

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<v Speaker 2>wrap up this first week by the first or the

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<v Speaker 2>second season. We're trying to win baseball games.

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<v Speaker 1>Good night tonight, too. You got Andy Pahez back in

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<v Speaker 1>center field in your starting lineup, and Roki Sasaki also activated.

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<v Speaker 1>How excited are you to have those two guys back

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<v Speaker 1>just in time for the end of the regular season?

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<v Speaker 2>Excited. I think it's exciting to look almost whole, and

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<v Speaker 2>Andy is returning after that hand fracture, and he's excited.

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<v Speaker 2>He's been chomping at the bit, so getting him back

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<v Speaker 2>in center field is huge, and You know, he'll have

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<v Speaker 2>six games under his belt before the postseason. And Rookie,

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<v Speaker 2>this is going to be his first outing, and we're

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<v Speaker 2>going to get him in there tonight. And it'll probably

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<v Speaker 2>be a two-inning stint in a clean inning and first

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<v Speaker 2>time in the pen since last postseason. So excited to

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<v Speaker 2>see him, and we'll get Robo in there at some

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<v Speaker 2>point in time tonight as well. So it's starting to

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<v Speaker 2>come together, and if all goes well, Dave, we'll see

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<v Speaker 2>Shohei in the lineup tomorrow.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, that's exciting as well. Don't bury the lead right there.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know what, I'm not good with this TV stuff,

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<v Speaker 2>so my apologies to the listeners.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, we'll get to Otani in a second, but you

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<v Speaker 1>raised some eyebrows the other day when you said what

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<v Speaker 1>you just told us, that Roque's going to pitch out

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<v Speaker 1>of the bullpen, but the first time is not going

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<v Speaker 1>to be getting the final three outs. Is there a

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<v Speaker 1>chance we may see him have a dry run at

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<v Speaker 1>trying to do that before the end of the regular season?

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<v Speaker 2>There's a possibility. But I think that last year it

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<v Speaker 2>was more out of necessity given where the bullpen was at.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think we're in a much better spot this

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<v Speaker 2>year where the pen is at. And so all the

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<v Speaker 2>innings out of the pen or all the innings in

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<v Speaker 2>general are very high leverage, important innings. I'm not too

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<v Speaker 2>concerned about having him finish a game because he's done

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<v Speaker 2>it before. And I don't think that his psyche, his

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<v Speaker 2>mentality will be affected by it. So it's not something

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to force. But if it happens organically, then

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<v Speaker 2>it happens. All right.

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<v Speaker 1>Back to Shohei Otani, who you said is going to

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<v Speaker 1>be back tomorrow. What are you looking for from him?

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<v Speaker 1>And what have you heard about where he's at physically

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<v Speaker 1>to give you the confidence to bring him back tomorrow?

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<v Speaker 2>Physically, he's great. You know, he's built up his workload

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<v Speaker 2>and ramped up the swings and hasn't had any setbacks,

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't feel it. So I feel the training staff feels that,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, we can run him out there potentially for

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<v Speaker 2>the next five games. And then if we do get

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<v Speaker 2>that by in the first week, then we can kind

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<v Speaker 2>of give him a chance to recover as well. But

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<v Speaker 2>from what I understand, he's pretty much 100 percent and

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<v Speaker 2>feels good.

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<v Speaker 1>You would have been proud of me on Sunday post-game

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<v Speaker 1>Dodger talk when people were calling in, pressing me, asking

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<v Speaker 1>me whether or not Mookie Betts will remain the leadoff

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<v Speaker 1>hitter when Otani returns. But I tried to explain then

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<v Speaker 1>what you've explained to me over the years, that it's

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<v Speaker 1>not just about the beginning of the game. It's about

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<v Speaker 1>a cohesive nine-man lineup. How are you feeling leaning towards

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<v Speaker 1>Otani and Mookie where they hit in the lineup?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know what? I think for me, it's like,

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<v Speaker 2>Mookie has hit leadoff recently. He's been on a tear

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<v Speaker 2>even when he was hitting in the three, the two. And,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I can recall a couple of weeks ago,

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<v Speaker 2>people were hard pressed that Tommy's got to lead off forever.

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<v Speaker 2>You're right. So I understand the fan sentiment, but I

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<v Speaker 2>also have to look at, you know, how the rest

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<v Speaker 2>of the lineup looks and, you know, trying to guard

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<v Speaker 2>against certain right-handed runs, left-handed runs. So, I haven't made

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<v Speaker 2>that decision. I guess I got 24 hours to make

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<v Speaker 2>that decision.

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<v Speaker 1>So the door is still possibly open for Mookie to

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<v Speaker 1>be leading off and Otani hitting somewhere else.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, there it is. And I think if anything, it

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<v Speaker 2>might be a handedness thing, you know, a verse right

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<v Speaker 2>verse left situation. But again, I could stick to what

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<v Speaker 2>I've done, but I am going to leave the door

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<v Speaker 2>slightly open.

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<v Speaker 1>Love it.

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<v Speaker 2>Wow.

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<v Speaker 1>Dave Roberts managers meeting. That's why we're here presented by

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<v Speaker 1>Downey Hyundai. Dave, when you look at Blake Snell, he

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<v Speaker 1>threw a bullpen session today. Are we still looking at

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<v Speaker 1>him possibly getting a final tune-up to test that left

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<v Speaker 1>groin before the end of the regular season?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I haven't heard back from that bullpen session, but

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<v Speaker 2>like I always say, no news is good news. And

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<v Speaker 2>if that's the case, then our plan is to have

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<v Speaker 2>Blake start on Saturday in San Francisco. Oh, love it.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll be there. All right. Sounds good. So will I.

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<v Speaker 1>Dave Roberts is our guest. I mean, now it feels like, Dave,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just, you know, asking you all these questions about Otani, Paez,

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<v Speaker 1>and Roque. It just feels like it has in the

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<v Speaker 1>past where you're in a position now to get your

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<v Speaker 1>team lined up with a first-round buy. Does that feel

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<v Speaker 1>like it has in the past?

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<v Speaker 2>It feels a little different. Well, obviously, last year we

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<v Speaker 2>didn't have that luxury. In other years where it just

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<v Speaker 2>seemed like we weren't playing until the end. to get

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<v Speaker 2>that by where the Braves are not giving us anything

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<v Speaker 2>right now. So right now, it's not more so lining

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<v Speaker 2>things up. It's just trying to win baseball games. And

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<v Speaker 2>as I understand it, our magic number right now is three.

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<v Speaker 2>So we're just trying to win as many games as

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<v Speaker 2>we can. And then once we kind of get in

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<v Speaker 2>that mode, then we can sort of reevaluate. But right now, Dave, honestly,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm just thinking about whatever we can do to win tonight.

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<v Speaker 1>That makes sense. Dodgers Padres tonight. Michael King. against the

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<v Speaker 1>Dodgers bullpen, which will include Roki Sasaki. Before we back

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<v Speaker 1>out of here, you told me something really fun on

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<v Speaker 1>your day off. You don't get too many days off

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<v Speaker 1>at home, and when you do, somebody wants you somewhere.

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<v Speaker 1>You're always kissing babies, making an appearance as a great ambassador.

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<v Speaker 1>for this organization and for the game of baseball. So

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<v Speaker 1>last night, how did Dave Roberts spend his rare night

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<v Speaker 1>off at home?

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<v Speaker 2>So, yeah, I went home last night and then I

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<v Speaker 2>grilled some steaks courtesy of Andy Reed, head coach of

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<v Speaker 2>the Chiefs. And, you know, I think it was a

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<v Speaker 2>couple of months ago I hosted him and his grandkids.

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<v Speaker 2>I think he's got 16 or 18 grandkids. So big family.

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<v Speaker 2>He's a lifelong Dodger fan. And so he reciprocated and

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<v Speaker 2>thanked me with some steaks. And so, I sent him

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<v Speaker 2>a nice picture of the grilled steaks with the broccoli

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<v Speaker 2>with the baked potato and congratulated him on his win

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<v Speaker 2>on Sunday. And a good friend of mine, great coach.

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<v Speaker 1>What's it like to see that stash up close and personal?

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<v Speaker 2>It's an aggressive stash, man. Very aggressive.

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<v Speaker 1>That's great. Dave Roberts and Andy Reid, they got the

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<v Speaker 1>steaks going. So you're a pretty good griller, I would imagine.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, I'm more on the medium side. And

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<v Speaker 2>I try to make sure if you've got good meat,

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<v Speaker 2>you don't overdo it. Because I remember growing up, my

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<v Speaker 2>dad was always a super well-done guy. And you start

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<v Speaker 2>eating good steaks, you go to a great steakhouse, and

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<v Speaker 2>you order a well-done steak, and you're about ready to

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<v Speaker 2>get kicked out by the chef. So I've learned to

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<v Speaker 2>kind of temper on the temperature. There you go.

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, when you're a manager that has over 1,000 wins,

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<v Speaker 1>has the highest winning percentage in modern baseball history, and

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<v Speaker 1>you got three world championships, you get steaks sent to

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<v Speaker 1>you by a Super Bowl champion coach, Andy Reid. Dave,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks a lot for the time. This was great to

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<v Speaker 1>catch up with you, and thanks for filling us in

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<v Speaker 1>on what's in your head and what's on the grill.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, absolutely. Well played, Dave. Well played, and great catching

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<v Speaker 2>up with you, man.