Dodgers Pregame: Dave Roberts discusses expectations for Walker Buehler against Cubs and more

DAV you look at jce match today what you to see from walk um I I think just continue to um build on what he's done um you know as Walker says he's starting to feel like himself which is a good thing um it's a team that uh you know they've actually been really good the last couple weeks playing at baseball um there's some familiarity over there with some of those guys U namely uh Michael Bush and and obviously Cody um but I think as far as Walker it just kind of to really uses pitch mix no one use his fast ball know where to go with the fast ball and uh get in compete mode from Pitch one I know we've been talking a lot about bads and when he goes the team goes but today he was announced as the nominee for the dodgers for the r award when you think about just the work that he's done on the field but also just everything he's done off the field what has he added especially in that of Los Angeles the work that how he's given back to the uh he he's done a great job um obviously he and his wife Bri have done a lot um with their foundation and uh you know it's part of the deal in my opinion as far as committing long-term to an organization uh mutually the organization commits to the player and so you know one part of it is obviously on the field but the other part I I think just as important as the stuff the commitment to the offer field stuff and uh M's done a great job as far as uh the funding putting in the time and uh you know pouring into Raider Los Angeles and and baseball and young ball players in general so for him to be the Dodger nominee is a huge honor when you look at just what the results has been getting offensively what has really stood out to you in specific about his atat coming off the um I I I think the thing that stands out most is uh his aggressiveness and I say that in a in a good way I I think that when the ball is over the plate in the strike zone in the his Zone he's being aggressive I think he's hit to all Fields really well and uh you know when he's aggressive and not passive uh there's just not many guys better do you think H in the two spot has opened up that aggressiveness for him she feel like typical lead off has to like 4 um you know I yeah probably yeah possibly um I I don't really remember how he was as far as aggressiveness passiveness before the the hand injury um but you know he bought into to you know show a hit lead off since he came back and understood the reason behind it and he's really taken off doc this is going to be one of the warmest hottest evening games on record how does that affect the the daily ritual and maybe even the pace of the game itself I mean you're dressed a little lighter today um yeah I I I think uh it reminds you of I think 17 the World Series where it was really hot um ball flies cuz the air is lighter um we've cut back on on field work the last few days um to give everybody a Break um so that's one part of it I'm I'm wearing the shirt that's children's uh cancer awareness month so that's an OD to the the kids fighting cancer how's uh teoscar doing today teoscar is doing well I was out there watching him run take ground balls fly balls watch him throw um you know we'll see how he comes in tomorrow um I'm hopeful he can be in there tomorrow but uh you know that's more of a training staff decision right now what was your Insight on the Yamoto B today uh I heard about it um it was it was good I I I think that um you know he's ready to go so I don't I'm not going to put too much uh weight into the bullpen um I know he's anxious to get back on the mound and uh he's got somewhere between 50 and 60 pitches tomorrow so you know we'll see how that plays out I think was step with today for clay I know you kind of work up Sho like testing out that tot c big what step is that first you know it's a good step uh he was doing it in tennis shoes so it's not spikes um there was a kind of a portable Mound out there that he was using so kind of uh simulate a slope for the mound um which is good so he's doing everything he can to keep his arm in shape test the toe um so I think we're we're we're holding we're holding and hopefully each passing day it starts to heal continu to heal was he throwing with like without a shoe at one point I wouldn't be surprised I I'm sure he was today it was in tennis shoes but that wouldn't surprise me D when do you expect to have gr all back so he threw a bullpen yesterday um I think it's Wednesday um I I alluded to it yesterday I think there's some roster uh restrictions flexibilities that itself to most likely Wednesday P misses as much time as he has this year is he the freshest or is there some other you know other hurdles that a picture like that has to face when they come in this late in the year there is some he is the freshest I feel confident saying that I think the thing is for for bruar that he's going to have to wrap his head around is um from his first outing he's got a have that playoff mindset um this is no longer uh rehab a rehab game a simulated game uh these are very important games important Innings and so for me I'm looking for him to ramp his Focus up you know immediately your magic number is 13 with 19 to go how much more comfortable are you or are you just as uncomfortable on the playoff Dave as you were two weeks ago same same uncomfortable Dave um I just don't expect any let down we've got to go to the end of October um I I don't think that you know whether whatever the magic number is um I'm looking for us to play good baseball and you know there are some things a defensive Mis CU and a bat that we throw away a base running mistake those are things that you know in a playoff game can't happen so uh that's where I'm kind that's where my head is at when you talk about Walker being in compete mode like obviously it seems like he's figured some things out mechanically but do you think it's help that you guys are just closer to October now and it looks like the way things are shaking out like he might have a role to play like can you feel him kind of feeling that opportunity with the calendar and the role and kind of you know pitching kind of like the guy we've seen in October's past I think he is feeling the opportunity um given where certain guys have gone down down um with the rotation and he understands that the opportunity to pitch in October is not just going to be given to him and um so this is an opportunity for him to pitch like his the postseason so that's why I'm talking about performance a lot and um you know it's not about how you feel or this or that it's about taking the best players that are going to help us win the postseason so I'm expecting him be one of them but his performance will dictate that does it help that this late in the season and these games are still incredibly meaningful especially for younger guys who whether it's Amy pz maybe someone like Landon back where opportunity might come for them come October that these games can start to prepare them yeah you know I'll give Landon a lot of credit he's pitching um for his life he's pitching um like it's the postseason and um that that's a good thing for me to see um I can't say that about some other people and not to name any names but these are important games and and you know every at bat you get every inning you play you pitch you know we're evaluating is a glaz now still scheduled to do another pen tomorrow yeah yeah he'll he'll do more of a full pen tomorrow um and then if that goes well then we expect to do a Sim game in in uh Atlanta on Friday a [Music]