The Dodgers keep finding ways to survive the grind, and a big part of that has been the kind of depth that has shown up again and again across the roster. Over the last few weeks, Alex Call, Ben Rortvedt, Alek Thomas and Seth Halvorsen have all stepped into meaningful roles, the latest reminder that Los Angeles is built to withstand a long season.
Dave Roberts made it clear that this is no accident. The Dodgers manager called depth “important” and said it has become one of the defining traits of the club.
“Yeah, it’s important,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said of the team’s depth. “That’s one of the hallmarks of our ballclub.
On the pitching side, the positional player side. It’s a long season, you’ve got to be able to use your roster.
“We pretty much go 60 players deep every year, it seems like. To have dependable guys on the bench or in the ‘pen that know who they are, know their roles, It’s important. Even the relievers right now, we’ve cycled through a lot of different relief pitchers this year, but our front office does a great job of finding arms that are serviceable.
“I like our positional player group, as far as you can plug and play in a lot of different places. Very versatile group and very battle tested, so the spot’s not going to get too big for any of those guys.”
That depth has mattered all season as injuries have forced the Dodgers to keep adjusting. Even with the team getting healthier as the stretch run approaches, Roberts said those same role players will still matter.
Call was one of the players in the middle of it during the Dodgers’ walk-off win over the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 11. It was his first start since July 21, and more recently he has been asked to handle designated hitter duties with Shohei Ohtani missing three straight games.
Roberts said Call brings a different kind of value.
“I think that he’s a different type of player, in the sense of there’s not a whole lot of slug,” Roberts said of Call. “There’s an on-base component, spoiling pitches, just fighting to not punch out, to move the ball forward. … But he’s a dependable player.
“You know what you’re going to get, and you know he’s going to fight every at-bat. Yeah, I think that’s what we’re looking for from all of our guys, especially those everyday guys.”
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