Dave Roberts said on September 19, 2026, that Shohei Ohtani's return remains uncertain, while the Los Angeles Dodgers hope he can return during the Padres series and play through the end of the regular season.
Roberts noted that Ohtani is not fully healthy but is better than he was a week earlier, adding that the issue is in Ohtani's arm and involves discomfort he can play through. Roberts also said Kyle Tucker would have played 10 consecutive games without the day off and that the Dodgers had six consecutive games remaining after Saturday.
Edwin Diaz is scheduled to pitch Wednesday after resting Sunday and Monday to prepare for the San Diego series. Roberts stated that Diaz is in one of his best positions of the year mentally and physically, with his confidence and velocity returning. Roberts added that Diaz has closed games before, so the Dodgers do not need him to save a game before trusting him with postseason closing opportunities.
The Dodgers will use an opener so EMTT can face more outs after the opponent's top three or four hitters. Roberts described Diaz's returning confidence as a swagger and energy the Dodgers can build on, saying, "that swagger is starting to come back."
Roberts said his expectation is that Han will join the Dodgers during the off week and could become a postseason roster consideration. He evaluated Alex Freeland's at-bat quality as consistent and said Freeland has been getting on base, while Hong must improve his offensive consistency to become a bigger postseason piece.
Roberts said the Dodgers intend to win every game while pursuing the postseason bye, with lineup-rest decisions coming after the bye is secured. "we control our own fate," Roberts stated.