Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the team's defensive sloppiness, pitching inefficiency, and Shohei Ohtani's knee situation at a press conference on July 11, 2026, following a loss.
Roberts said during the press conference that pitchers failing to convert count leverage was a central factor in the defeat. "You get count leverage 0-2 on guys and you can't put them away. You're giving up hits 0-2. The free bases, you know, all that stuff, you know, played a part in us giving up a lot of runs tonight," he said. Roberts also noted that the team had been defensively sloppy in two of the last three games.
On the subject of Eduardo Rodriguez, Roberts evaluated his pitching positively, stating, "He's had a heck of a year. I think he's an All-Star." Roberts acknowledged that the 2024 and 2025 seasons had been a grind for Rodriguez due to health issues, but added that when healthy, Rodriguez misses barrels and performs as a true big-league pitcher. Roberts also rejected the notion that poor pitching from one reliever carries over to the next, explaining that each pitcher bears his own individual responsibility. He mentioned that Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to start the next game, which he viewed as a positive development for the club.
Regarding Klein, Roberts checked on the reliever's condition personally after pulling him mid-game. "I just wanted to make sure, you know, in talking to him man-to-man just how he felt, going back out there for another inning, because we've pushed him a little bit," Roberts explained. Roberts also stated that the team has done a very good job in 2026 of protecting downside with roster depth, and confirmed a conversation about adding a pitcher to the roster would take place immediately after the press conference.
On Ohtani's knee, Roberts confirmed that Ohtani has been dealing with the issue for approximately the last month and that the team has curtailed his running as a result. Roberts praised Ohtani's offensive contributions despite the injury, and confirmed he anticipates Ohtani to serve as designated hitter in the next game.