Dave Roberts Appreciated ‘Quiet’ Dodgers Spring Training

Gabriel Arteaga
3 Min Read

Originally published by DodgerBlue.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded their Spring Training schedule on Tuesday and are now back in Southern California for Opening Day against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It was a mostly normal camp for the Dodgers this spring, even when factoring in some interruptions from the 2026 World Baseball Classic and a few injuries that will affect their Opening Day roster.

L.A., nevertheless, is in a good spot as it looks to become MLB’s first three-peat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, with most of its key players healthy and excitement over several key additions during the offseason.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the team will benefit from what was largely an uneventful Spring Training, via Jack Harris of the California Post:

“It’s been a quiet camp,” manager Dave Roberts quipped Friday. “Some people would say that it’s been a boring camp –– which I think has been good for us.”

The Dodgers have to be pleased with how things went in Spring Training, as they posted a Cactus League-best 19-8-1 record. The club also came out relatively unscathed in terms of injuries, with only Gavin Stone suffering a setback in his recovery from right shoulder surgery.

Blake Snell and Tommy Edman will also be sidelined to begin the 2026 season, but both players are dealing with the same injuries that limited them last year.

The Dodgers didn’t have many roster battles this spring, either, with Emmet Sheehan earning the final spot in the starting rotation over Justin Wrobleski, and Alex Freeland getting the nod over Hyeseong Kim for playing time at second base against left-handed pitching.

The only other player to truly earn a roster spot in Spring Training was Santiago Espinal, who battled with Nick Senzel to serve as a right-handed utility bench bat.

Dave Roberts explains Alex Freeland making Dodgers Opening Day roster over Hyeseong Kim

Although Kim statistically outperformed Freeland in Spring Training, Roberts believes he will be better served beginning the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City and having a chance to play multiple positions to increase his versatility.

As for Wrobleski, he should enter the rotation early in the season, but was moved to the bullpen for now given that the schedule allows the Dodgers to avoid needing a sixth starter until April 8. Both starters posted some mixed results in camp, but have high expectations moving forward.

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