{"id":95222,"date":"2025-09-19T08:44:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T08:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=95222"},"modified":"2025-09-19T08:45:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T08:45:25","slug":"dodgers-dave-roberts-gets-brutally-honest-on-michael-kopechs-struggles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=95222","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8 ROBERTS UNCUT: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gets brutally honest about Michael Kopech\u2019s struggles, delivering raw insight that shocks fans, fuels debate over his role and future, and leaves the baseball world buzzing about whether tough love is exactly what Los Angeles needs to spark a turnaround."},"content":{"rendered":"<article><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Dodgers-manager-Dave-Roberts.jpg?w=1200\" alt=\"Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) pulls relief pitcher Michael Kopech\" \/>The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen has had its shaky moments as of late. But the talent they have in the bullpen is undeniable, with one of their biggest weapons being Michael Kopech, the hard-throwing reliever that they acquired from the Chicago White Sox during the 2024 MLB trade deadline. Kopech looked like a new man upon his arrival with the Dodgers last year, and on the surface, his stats in 2025 have been very good.<\/p>\n<p>But underneath the 2.45 ERA that Kopech is sporting this year lies some concerning peripherals, particularly in the command department. This was in display for the Dodgers reliever on Thursday night when he walked the first two batters he faced to start off the seventh inning before he exited with a strikeout of Drew Gilbert. The only earned run the Dodgers allowed in their 2-1 win over the Giants was charged on Kopech, and it&#8217;s safe to say that that outing won&#8217;t be fortifying the trust manager Dave Roberts has in him.<\/p>\n<p>But the Dodgers manager is giving Kopech the benefit of the doubt. After all, Kopech did miss plenty of time earlier in the season after suffering a torn meniscus that required surgery in early July.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#8217;t know if he&#8217;s banged up. It might be a shoulder. It might be an elbow. He&#8217;s obviously coming off knee surgery and just has a hard time syncing his throw up,\u201d Roberts said, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.<\/p>\n<h2>Dave Roberts has to have the Dodgers&#8217; best interests in mind<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3513072\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3513072\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Dave-Roberts.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Dave-Roberts.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Dave-Roberts.jpg?resize=300,168 300w, https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Dave-Roberts.jpg?resize=768,431 768w, https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Dave-Roberts.jpg?resize=1024,574 1024w, https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Dave-Roberts.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" alt=\"Dodgers' Dave Roberts gets brutally honest on Michael Kopech's struggles\" width=\"1024\" height=\"574\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3513072\">Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Dodgers are in the business of winning games, and Roberts has to make the decisions that would benefit the team. He cannot afford to be sentimental, and if Kopech is struggling, he&#8217;ll move accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love Kopey. I know he&#8217;s doing everything he can. But it&#8217;s just for me, it&#8217;s, you&#8217;ve got to win games. You&#8217;ve got to give your defense a chance to make plays. The strike-throwing has just been difficult and inconsistent. That&#8217;s a hard question, I think right now. Right where we&#8217;re at, guys have got to \u2013 we&#8217;ve seen enough of a sample of guys that we&#8217;ve got to go with the most trusted guys right now. That&#8217;s kind of where my head&#8217;s at,\u201d Roberts added.<\/p>\n<p>Considering how important the bullpen is in a playoff setting, these final regular season games basically serve as an audition as to who&#8217;ll be entrusted with the responsibility of pitching under the postseason bright lights. And so far, Kopech is not doing himself any favors.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michael Kopech is not doing himself any favors in the eyes of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts as he continues to struggle with command.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":95224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1369,39,3739,44],"class_list":["post-95222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-dave-roberts","tag-los-angeles-dodgers","tag-michael-kopech","tag-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8 ROBERTS UNCUT: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gets brutally honest about Michael Kopech\u2019s struggles, delivering raw insight that shocks fans, fuels debate over his role and future, and leaves the baseball world buzzing about whether tough love is exactly what Los Angeles needs to spark a turnaround. - 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