Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Can't Help But Let Late Season Injury Thoughts Creep into Mind

Dave Roberts can't stop thinking about late season injuries.

As the Los Angeles Dodgers get closer to securing their 10th NL West division title in 11 seasons, it's understandable to have your thinking drift toward the postseason. Teams need to not only be playing well when they enter the playoffs, players also need to be healthy and ready to answer the bell.

With October drawing nearer, Dave Roberts can’t stop thinking about late-season injuries.

“It’s in there... and I’ve got to fight those thoughts every day,” Roberts said recently. “These guys are designed and want to play and compete. I remember in (2021) … when (Max) Muncy, the last game of the season, that collision. Things are going to happen. Somebody’s got to play. Certainly there’s a lot of coaches and managers in that spot. But you can’t let that bleed into decision-making. I just don’t believe that.”

This season, the Dodgers have been injury-prone, and they have uncertainty about some other players. It feels like they rarely get good news about an injury.

This just-completed road trip was difficult for the Dodgers. And, unfortunately, Roberts revealed Clayton Kershaw’s shoulder still isn’t right. Kershaw’s next start was pushed back till Friday.

Mookie Betts missed 2 games with a bruised foot. He is playing with a bone bruise, but the foot felt good enough to play on Sunday.

On Sunday, a pitch hit David Peralta’s elbow, and he was forced to leave the game with an elbow contusion.

The health of a team determines which team will win the World Series. In the 2021 postseason, if the Dodgers had Max Muncy, Justin Turner, and Kershaw, they probably would have beaten the Braves and faced the Houston Astros in the World Series. 

Muncy was involved in a nasty collision at first base on the final game of the regular season and couldn't play in October with a dislocated elbow and torn UCL. Kershaw was dealing with elbow/forearm issues that made him contemplate retirement. And Turner was playing hurt and eventually a hamstring injury knocked him out of the NLCS against Atlanta.

Luckily in 2023, the Dodgers have a large cushion for the NL West. There is no shame in resting some players to make sure they are healthy before the postseason.