Dave Roberts discussed the Los Angeles Dodgers' plans and evaluations on October 5, 2026, saying Edwin Díaz could close after praising his performance in a high-leverage outing.
“Absolutely, you could see him closing,” Roberts said of Díaz. He called the outing “a silver lining” and “certainly a positive.” Roberts also said Shohei Ohtani would be in the lineup for Game 3 and that the Dodgers would focus on getting him back to attacking pitches in the hitting zone.
Roberts stated that Blake Snell was not dealing with a groin issue and instead was not sharp, with problems commanding his fastball and slider while lacking his changeup. “It just wasn't the groin. He just wasn't sharp tonight,” Roberts said. He added that there had been no health concerns before the start and explained that Snell had indicated he did not feel well in Cincinnati, prompting the Dodgers to remove him after one inning.
Roberts said the Dodgers did not need many hits to change the outcome but could not produce one when needed: “We just couldn't get a hit when we needed to.” He also described Atlanta as a challenge because the Braves would use any pitcher to pursue favorable matchups.
Roberts praised Max Muncy as “a big-time player” and an underrated contributor who came off the bench willingly as a great teammate. He said Muncy had two postseason home runs and was the Dodgers' all-time postseason home-run leader. Roberts also cited Fuentes's performance, saying Fuentes worked almost four innings and threw more than 40 pitches, retired nine straight batters at one point, and reached 99-100 mph with his fastball; Roberts noted the Dodgers had two days off before that outing. He said Snell's fastball was 97-98 mph.
The Dodgers' immediate plans are to place Ohtani in the Game 3 lineup, seek better at-bats in the hitting zone and continue considering Díaz as a closing option while addressing the issues Roberts identified.