Dave Roberts evaluated Shohei Ohtani's hitting positively at a Los Angeles Dodgers press conference on September 24, 2026.
Roberts said Ohtani's bat speed and contact quality were strong, using the words, "the bat speed's there, the quality of the bats there." He also noted, "the last two two nights, um, he's looked great," and said he was encouraged by Ohtani's ability to handle the fastball. Roberts said Ohtani hit against Mason Miller.
Roberts stated that Edwin Diaz would pitch on one of the weekend days in a role somewhere between the seventh and ninth innings. He added that Diaz had four outings since returning, a claim attributed to Roberts. Blake Snell, Roberts said, "threw the ball tremendously" despite an unfavorable ending and was preparing for his postseason start.
Roberts described Tyler as a major postseason weapon because of his fastball, slider and curveball, saying, "he's as good as anybody in baseball." He also said the Dodgers' regular-season record against contenders would not determine their postseason performance because "once you get to the postseason, it's it is a different season."
Roberts said the Los Angeles Dodgers planned to finish the season strongly, with Snell scheduled after the next starter and a bullpen game against the San Diego Padres on Sunday. He urged Dodgers fans to continue their support, saying, "just ride with us." During the press conference, Roberts apologized repeatedly after coughing, saying, "excuse me. I'm so sorry, guys." He also claimed that the Dodgers had won 97 games with three games remaining, had 44 million fans that season, and that Ohtani's last RBI before the game was on August 18; Roberts additionally claimed Ohtani had spent two weeks on the injured list.