Dave Roberts: Dodgers’ Depth ‘Important’ To Success

The Los Angeles Dodgers have navigated another season in which their roster and organizational depth were needed. Over recent weeks the likes of Alex Call, Ben Rortvedt, Alek Thomas and Seth Halvorsen have been among those to play key roles.

“Yeah, it’s important,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said of the team’s depth. “That’s one of the hallmarks of our ballclub. On the pitching side, the positional player side. It’s a long season, you’ve got to be able to use your roster.

“We pretty much go 60 players deep every year, it seems like. To have dependable guys on the bench or in the ‘pen that know who they are, know their roles, It’s important. Even the relievers right now, we’ve cycled through a lot of different relief pitchers this year, but our front office does a great job of finding arms that are serviceable.

“I like our positional player group, as far as you can plug and play in a lot of different places. Very versatile group and very battle tested, so the spot’s not going to get too big for any of those guys.”

The Dodgers have leaned on their depth all season while navigating injuries, and even as they get healthier for the stretch run, those players will continue to be an important part of their success.

Dave Roberts praises Alex Call

Call was in the spotlight during the Dodgers’ walk-off win against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 11. It was Call’s first start since July 21, and he more recently has filled in as the Dodgers’ designated hitter due to Shohei Ohtani missing three games in a row.

“I think that he’s a different type of player, in the sense of there’s not a whole lot of slug,” Roberts said of Call. “There’s an on-base component, spoiling pitches, just fighting to not punch out, to move the ball forward. … But he’s a dependable player.

“You know what you’re going to get, and you know he’s going to fight every at-bat. Yeah, I think that’s what we’re looking for from all of our guys, especially those everyday guys.”