Dave Roberts said on September 19, 2026, that Shohei Ohtani could return to the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup during the next series.
Roberts stated that Ohtani took 30 to 40 swings, ran the bases and was expected to take part in more batting practice on September 20, 2026. He added that Ohtani looked fast and strong while running, and said, "there's a good chance next series we'll see him."
Roberts explained that Will Smith would receive two days to reset before playing two or three games against the San Diego Padres and two or three games in the final series. Brandon McDaniel communicates with Roberts about Smith's workload, while Roberts said the main priority was not pushing Smith too early and preserving him for the postseason. Roberts plans to use Smith after that period.
Roberts noted that the Dodgers had four or five hitters swinging well across four or five games, describing it as the first sustained stretch of the season. He attributed Mookie Betts' continued improvement partly to confidence built through results, saying, "he's got to see results first." Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman, Tony and Seth Halvorsen were also mentioned in the discussion. Roberts removed Kyle Tucker after a foul ball made his knee sore, but stated that he expected Tucker to return on September 20, 2026, pending the morning update.
Roberts also said the Dodgers had scored in six straight innings to open a game, a claim attributed to him during the conference. He praised Dino, saying, "Dino's great," and acknowledged that he probably should have held his breath during dangerous plays at the plate, but added, "I probably should have, but I think for me, you still got to play baseball."
Roberts said securing the playoff bye mattered more than the specific opponent, while the Dodgers continued trying to win as many games as possible. The immediate plans are for Ohtani's additional batting practice and morning evaluation of Tucker on September 20, 2026, followed by Smith's scheduled reset and game workload.