Jun 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) reacts as he is hit by a pitch in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Did Fernando Tatis Jr Address Hit By Pitches With Dodgers' Dave Roberts? Padres Star Answers

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 12:30 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers are squaring off against Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium, a mid-August series that has serious playoff race ramifications.

The Dodgers captured a one-game lead after beating the Padres on Friday and Saturday. Los Angeles got swept by the Angels earlier in the week while the Padres dominated the San Fransico Giants.

After several injuries to the Dodgers' bullpen and a slumping offense going cold over the past couple of weeks, the Padres have made the National League West division contested once again.

Both teams have clashed regularly in the playoffs over recent seasons, and early in the regular season this year, there was a bench-clearing altercation between the division rivals after Tatis Jr. got hit by a pitch.

Padres manager Mike Schildt took issue with the pitch and called out the Dodgers over how they pitch San Diego's young superstar.

Now the Dodgers and Padres once again lock horns on the diamond, and during the series, Tatis was asked about any conversations that he had with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts during All-Star weekend.

"We just talked some really good baseball conversation," Tatis told reporters.

"That was about it, but we're professionals in there and, you know, we have just good conversation about baseball and everybody just in a good spot."

Fernando Tatís says he didn't ask Dave Roberts at ASG why the Dodgers pitchers keep hitting him@SportingTrib pic.twitter.com/xuSWYDzKUS
— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) August 15, 2025

Roberts, for his part, claimed that any pitches which hit Tatis are not intentional, rather a result of a pitcher trying to pitch a great hitter inside.

"I think anyone would understand there’s no intent there. And even by my reaction, I didn’t feel good about Tatis -- great player, good guy -- getting hit," Roberts said after the benches-clearing altercation.

"Tatis, unintentional. In that spot, you don't want a guy on base. Certainly, him bleeding into their guys in the middle part of the order."

Tatis, on the other hand, expressed frustration over getting hit once again by the Dodgers, saying: “For me it wasn’t [intentional], in the moment. But how many times have they hit me already?”

Surely, if the outfielder gets hit again by a Dodger pitcher, there could be another altercation between both teams, especially if it happened in the playoffs, when emotions run highest.