Dodgers Pregame: Dave Roberts discusses Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani Bobblehead, Brusdar Graterol

Freddy Freeman how is he doing and what do we Freddy um I haven't seen him today I assume he's doing better um we'll see if he's available tonight Off the Bench um last night he wasn't um I know I said he was but he wasn't and tonight I'm going to kind of run the same Playbook and we'll see how he's feeling uh if the game is on the line the glass now anything new on him um he is uh getting better uh today I think he's going to resume throwing on Friday so uh he'll travel with us to uh Phoenix and he'll resume his throwing program so at that point in time if it goes well then we'll see where he's at Yoto big step today what do you expect and certainly What's following up after that so with yoshinobu um it's going to be two innings tonight and uh um hopefully it goes well and then after that uh five or six days later um he'll do a three inning situation and then from that point on you know I think it's a conversation if four Innings to start for us makes sense or will he need another start so I think today let's get through that uh first re have a sense you talk about playoff mode and beating good pitching Orbin Burns presents many options and challenges for you so do you see different mentality and the way you approached somebody like that to get avered yeah you know what he's a strike thrower um it's High Velocity it's it's a cut fast ball um it's a two seamer a little bit slider um but I think yeah for us just to be aggressive and he's one of those guys that you're going to have to beat in the postseason so um you can't win a series unless you win tonight and so I'm expecting Walker to uh you know match Corbin uh pitch for pitch tonight did Tyler come out as like the last throwing session feeling as good as he wanted to kind of push back this one to that's what it was yeah um he played catch a few days ago didn't come out of it great um so we feel that all the stuff that he's done the treatment Friday is a good day for him to resume did he go under like further testing at all um I'm not sure faan um I just got word that he's going to be throwing Friday so I can find that up though he did I saw him briefly and um the risk is sore but um swelling minimal so I don't think it's going to affect his side session or his next start what do you see out of Walker the CP very um I think he's still trying to hone in on his delivery which I think has been inconsistent um with that I think the uh the pitches have been and pitches command uh hasn't been consistent um you know and this is a staff this a lineup That grinds you out uh they take walks they can slug so you have to get ahead uh you have to pitch the all quadrants you have to mix and match with the pitch sequencing um so you know I don't know I I I know that he's worked real hard this week to get the mechanics dialed in but uh you know the fastball command I I really believe that it starts with that and um if he's pull yanking or missing armide or missing at the belt with the fast ball then um it's going to be a lot tougher feel like a key with a lot of your guys right now and obviously getting first bit strikes and getting ah heads like in work in general especially just some of the inconsistencies your guys are experiencing like is that one of the things you're looking for each time these guys are out there yeah yeah I am um I think that if you look at the last couple weeks I think we've done a much better job of it and I do think that that goes uh in correlation with getting guys out um guys uh typically hunt to slug early but if you can get strike one you have the ability to expand and uh the relievers have done a good job with that um I thought Jack did a really nice job with that last night and uh yeah I I just you know expect Walker do the same thing tonight is that one of the biggest differences with him coming back right now is it has been behind guys more like he's Bey that attack early in the this stuff I think it's a combo for Walker I really do um he's been going through this mechanics situation um getting strike one is one part of it you know but also once you get count leverage you got to be able to put him away and I think uh that's also been a part that's been tough for him to wipe guys out when he does the count leverage what are your thoughts on sh and Deco decoy B well I'm just happy that I made it um yeah tell us about that I heard it's unbelievable um uh I I don't know if it was show Shi or decoy or a combo but man there is a high demand for these this dang bobblehead so it took me forever to get inside Dodger Stadium there's a long line so uh if you plan on coming you better have already left uh tonight um no you know what sh's been great um I I think that he's having fun with uh you know all the uh the success obviously and you know promoting of him and his dog and uh it's it's great for the Dodgers it's it's fantastic is it still surprise you how big of an impact he makes it it does it does because when you're in it dayto day he's a baseball player that just wants to play but when you see um him impact in mov the needle like he does and has I've just never seen anything like this this is incredible so I guess it's a good thing to really sit back and appreciate you know how meaningful of a player he is was he trying to get in at the same time as you um I hope not I hope not because uh I I I assume he was there earlier than I was but uh I actually picked up one of the uh Dodger workers uh on the way in so uh she was uh laboring up the hill so I picked her up and gave her a little lift Dave uh is FL to get an extra day before the next start like 5 days instead four uh you know what Eric I'm not sure I I don't want to speak to that yet because if so it calls for a drop in and so um we we're kind of talking about that right now so I don't want to kind of address that right now it would be Sunday right for September 1st so if if it happens would be that hard it look like uh ground all through of full buen session out there how close are you to getting in that I I think I think bruar should be going out on assignment soon um it was a great one hamstring strain he's been sprinting uh the bullpens are good velocity good so I I just don't see why uh we can't send him out soon and him be a real conversation here uh you know in a week to 10 days how much of a bonus is that it's great what it looked like it's it's a it's consider considering uh where it was after his first outing back with us and have this conversation about early September it's great and Bruce Dar has just been so valuable for us um each year in the postseason so to get him back um a neutral reliever um it's going to be great going back to Walker seems like talk to opposing players and players in the organization seems like there's a big pull for Walker to be you get the sense from the organization overall there is um I think we have the same PLL with Bobby Miller um you know there's certain guys that we've counted on you know when you put this roster together and Walker with his track record and what he's done was one of the guys and so certainly hasn't been a year um that he would have liked but we can make it right and finish strong uh build off of uh tonight and Pitch the most meaningful games of the season going forward um but yeah there's certainly a pull and hope for him to be the guy that we need a he with with Austin tomorrow um is it just a matter of like him is it a pain tolerance thing now like he still kind of has to wa for rord to heal or how's he doing uh he's doing well I don't think it's there might be some dis discomfort but you know from what I my expectation he's going to be in the lineup tomorrow so um if he's not in there he can't go then we'll push him to another day and have Betty start but my thought is that he's going to be in line of back to Sunday for a second on the position player side is it a little easier going to be think still talking through that yeah that that's that's what it should be yeah I think that's our expectation is Andy to come back on September 1st thanks guys