2025 Wild Card: Dodgers starting pitchers, Roki Sasaki, Will Smith, Tommy Edman, bullpen confidence

2025 Wild Card: Dodgers starting pitchers, Roki Sasaki, Will Smith, Tommy Edman, bullpen confidence

[Music] Hey. Hi, Barry. Can you go over your your your pitching decisions for the Trials now? Do you have a game two and game three? No. Game three. Yamamoto will start game two. And what’s your plans for for Otani pitching wise? uh right hip. Um he’ll he’ll if there if there is a game three, he’ll probably start game three. And then uh how about Clayton? What what’s your plans with him? Um he threw yesterday a full ramp up. So he’s not going to be on this uh roster, but he’ll be back perhaps if you’re in the DS. If we’re fortunate enough, he’ll be on the DS roster. Yes. Okay. Thanks. Yep. Hey Dave, how uh was there much consideration of maybe doing Otani game one? How much of that kind just on trying to manage his workload and and allow him to kind of focus on hitting these first two games? Um I I think that um you know the workload um it’s the proper rest for uh Snell Yamamoto. Um and uh obviously we don’t know what’s going to happen with the game three but then also there’s an off day after that. So just kind of just thinking through everything. Dave is any update on Will Smith? Um Will is um in the cage taking batting practice. Uh came out of it well. Uh he’s going to take part in uh the live session outside tonight during our workout. So encouraged. And is there any consideration maybe keeping him on the roster even if he’s not catching as a potential like a pinch option? If he can if he can get through today and feel good, then it’s a it’s a viable thought. Yeah. Uh Dave, with Otani, obviously if you guys can wrap this thing up kind of on the earlier, right? If you can finish the series in two games, has a right has implications for the next series. How much did that factor into, you know, placing Otani where you did? Yeah, that played a role as well. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Don’t go. Hi. Sorry. Hi, Dave. Uh, looking back to last year’s postseason run compared to this one, what’s the biggest collective difference you see with this team? Um, the starting pitching is uh considerably better. Um, is is in a much better health uh state as well. Um, that’s probably the biggest difference between last year’s team. Hi. As you prepare for the Reds or their style of play, are there trademarks of a a Terry Francona team that you see in the Reds this year? Um, you know what? I I think that uh Tito just kind of lets his guys do their thing. I think that uh they’re they’re resilient group. Um, they play 27 outs. They’re they play with energy. Um they uh yeah, I mean I think it’s a very wellbalanced team obviously. Um you know the the starters are very uh notable. Um but they put the ball in play. They they compete, they play, you know, solid defense. Um he’s got some guys that he trusts in the pen. But I think for the most part, you know, Tito just kind of lets guys play and and uh you know, play with energy. Hi Dave. Uh I saw you gave Gary Hson some last series at the Seattle. Did you see some improvement? I did. I did. He he looked really good. Um I I thought his at bats were really good. Um it was good to get him some consistent at bats and uh like I’ve always said I think Hong’s uh he’s been fantastic for us this year and you know so you know going into tomorrow evening you know we’ve got some tough roster decisions um that we’re we’re continuing to talk through right now but he’s had a he’s had a heck of a year. Hey Dave, how are you? Uh with the old World uh World Series hangover, uh how important is uh setting the tone in game one? Um yeah, I don’t think uh you know the hangover part kind of I don’t think that’s relevant anymore. I think that uh we are locked in and focus on on this series. But I do think that, you know, being at home, um, not having to travel, um, you know, it’s important for us to strike early and really not let these guys kind of hang around and gain confidence and, you know, like I’ve tal I’ve talked about edge and just keeping our edge and not not kind of uh giving these guys any opportunity or of life, you know. go back to Dave, uh, when you look at Sasaki, uh, you know, how good he looked, how do you weigh that against, you know, maybe the, right, it wasn’t like the most pressurized of situations. Um, the fact that it was only twice, how do you kind of weigh all that? And do you know yet if he’s going to be on the roster? Um, I I expect to be on the roster. Um, yeah, I expected. We haven’t finalized anything yet. Um, yeah, I I I still think that the way he threw the big games that he’s pitched in before, um, I think that that’s something that I can trust certainly. Um, I don’t know what role would that that would be, but um, yeah, I I think that what I’ve seen in the last couple outings and even the ones in Triple A are considerably different than the ones we had earlier this year. Right. Hi Dave. Uh how much confidence do you have in the new version of the bullpin? Much uh much more confidence uh you know than we had a couple weeks ago. Um and I think that it’s because those guys have shown the confidence in themselves where they’re throwing the baseball. Um I I think the last week we saw guys uh more on the attack. Um you know setting the tone versus you know pitching behind or pitching too careful. So you know I I think that that that Seattle series was really impressive from our pen. Hey Dave, you mentioned that you’re more confident about the pitching going into this postseason. You’ve only had one guy throw above 170 innings. I know a lot of that is due to injury, but how much does it help to have fresh arms that haven’t gone through the wear and tear of the season? Yeah, you know what? I I I think it’s uh I think that’s a good thing. Um I don’t think it’s everything. Um you know, but yeah, Yoshino is the only guy that’s kind of gone north of that, but I think that he’s thrown his best, you know, in the second half after the season. Um but the other guys, there’s a lot left uh bullets left in the season. And so I do think that, you know, where the postseason gets more uh intensified, having those extra bullets, uh, you know, could be a benefit. And, uh, our guys certainly aren’t taxed as far as innings this year. Um, back. What are the inherent dangers, if any, of facing a six seed that just clinched and kind of has the momentum just because they just clinched it yesterday and they’re going right into the playoffs kind of as it? Well, I I I think the dangers are um the uh the youthful enthusiasm, the naivee. There’s not a lot of uh experience. And I think that sometimes it happens so quick that they’re just riding a wave. And I I think a way to combat that is we have to not take them lightly because it’s a really good ball club and they played their way into the postseason. Also, when you’re playing against a team that essentially feels like they have nothing to lose, that kind of mindset um but uh but we’re aware of it. We’re focused on playing well and you know know that these guys are a good ball club and we got to play good baseball. So, but those just answer your question. How are Max and Tommy doing? Are you expecting them to have any limitations this week? Um, you know, but yeah, I don’t I don’t think so. I think they’re both in a good spot right now. Um, I’m glad we uh gave Max the weekend. Um, Tommy would now have had two days uh for that ankle, so I expect them both to be in the lineup tomorrow. And then how does like a postseason like this compare when you come in after the success of last year versus the last couple October when you have like the pressure of having not, you know, won the year before? Does it create a different vibe as you guys start this this run? Well, one thing that’s different is, you know, we get one day off and then we’re playing um after the regular season. Um yeah, I don’t I don’t know about the pressure. It’s hard to answer the pressure thing. I want to win this year as much as I wanted to last year. Um I don’t know if it’s because you know why that is, but my and I think that the players feel the same way. Um, I don’t know if it’s easier or harder that we won last year, but honestly, Jack, all we care about is winning this year and, you know, Yeah. winning this year. Um, Muki was just in here and was pretty transparent about his return to full health, embracing playing shortstop and kind of the mental challenges he overcame. I guess for you knowing the athlete he is and what he’s capable of. When did you see him make the turn and really enjoy playing the game and the offense coming to him again? You know, um I think the offense um when he kind of uh said that the year was lost and uh you know when he kind of made that admission that’s when I think it sort of flipped for him um just freeing his mind up. But then there was a there was a play, I don’t recall where it was at, but a play going to his backhand that he made this play pretty spectacular play where for me it was just being an athlete playing shortstop and not just kind of the mechanical part of it like he just looked like a natural short stop right there and I don’t remember the backhand play but then you know he has been you know as good as I could have ever expected playing that position. Two last ones probably. Yeah, Dave over the weekend you kind of said with Tanner specifically that he didn’t have the season that he kind of envisioned, but he can kind of wipe it away with a good October. How much is that kind of true for a lot of the guys who maybe didn’t have the seasons that they were kind of hoping going into this year? Um, you know, I could spit out six or seven names pretty easily. Um, and that’s the great thing about the postseasons. um you know, moments and opportunities present themselves and how you perform. Um people remember those moments and so we’ve got guys like that in our clubhouse right now. Um so yeah, that’s kind of the hope and the messaging from me that, you know, nothing that these guys have done prior matters. you know, um it it’s kind of the next four weeks and how we’re prepared mentally, physically, and you know, to go out there and play our best baseball, you know, individually, collectively. So, 10 are certainly in that bucket. Um there’s so many players who experienced the um the postseason last year. How much does it help you to navigate the team in the tough October? I think it’s much it’s it’s easier with the experience. And I say that because in the postseason the game gets fast, the emotions get high, adrenaline gets going, crowd gets crazy. And so with the experience, you have the ability to kind of slow it down a little bit um and control your emotions. So for me, having a lot of guys that have experience makes my job easier and just sort of watching the game and trying to navigate that. But as far as the players, I think having experience is is really beneficial. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Thanks.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, discussed the Shohei Ohtani decision, Roki Sasaki likely making the roster, injury updates on Will Smith and Tommy Edman, Clayton Kershaw’s outlook if the team advances, and Mookie Betts.
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