Dave Roberts gave an injury update on Edwin Diaz on August 18, 2026, saying the reliever's MRI was clean after he experienced a neck sensation.
Roberts said there were no findings on the scan. "There were no findings so that was good, MRI was clean," he said. The manager added that the issue appears to be muscular rather than nerve-related, calling it a best-case scenario. "The takeaway is just more muscular and not nervy," he noted. Roberts said Diaz will likely be shut down from throwing for a couple of days, followed by soft tissue work and other manual treatment to get him back.
Roberts also evaluated Tanner Scott, stating his stuff is as good as it has been all year. "Stuff is, right now today, it's as good as it's been all year," he said. Roberts described Scott as the team's closer at the moment and pointed to his mental makeup as a key trait, explaining that Scott's ability to stay unaffected emotionally is his superpower. He attributed Scott's turnaround from struggles the previous year to health issues that had come to light, which Scott had been downplaying. Roberts also said Scott's fastball sits at 96 to 98 mph when he is right.
Asked about the stretch in which the Dodgers used backup catchers Alonso and Chuckie Robinson, Roberts said the team discussed calling pitches from the dugout but decided to stay the course, citing execution over pitch selection as the main issue. He added that the Dodgers were finishing a stretch of 13 games in a row that included three in Denver, which factored into lineup rest decisions.
Roberts explained his decision to play Kyle Tucker was a way of showing support given his good energy and headspace. He also addressed Shohei Ohtani's bullpen progression, saying the next step has not been decided between another bullpen session or a live one-inning outing, depending on the upcoming schedule.