As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepared for their matchup against the Washington Nationals, manager Dave Roberts addressed recent offensive struggles with a tone rooted in patience rather than concern.

After a stretch that included 23 consecutive outs, Roberts pointed to minor issues rather than any need for drastic changes.

“I think that the approaches are all fine,” Roberts said. “I just think that there's some, there's a little bit with certain guys, there's certainly some chase in there.”

Despite the lack of production over the last couple of games, Roberts made it clear he is not ready to adjust his lineup this early in the season.

“It’s only six games,” Roberts said. “Certainly, with both those guys, their track record speaks for itself. So I'm not gonna kind of make an adjustment… this quick.”

The Dodgers will face a different type of challenge against Washington starter Miles Mikolas, a pitcher Roberts described as relying more on contact than overpowering hitters.

“He's not really a strikeout guy,” Roberts said. “So I would expect them… put the ball in play a lot more today.”

One player under early scrutiny has been offseason addition Kyle Tucker, whose strikeout rate has jumped significantly to begin the year. Roberts acknowledged the uncharacteristic trend but admitted there’s no clear explanation yet.

“I think it's right around 40%, which he's never come close to,” Roberts said. “I don't know the reason for that… hopefully getting on the road… will change things.”

On the pitching side, Roberts highlighted mechanical adjustments being made to address recent inconsistencies with Emmet Sheehan. The focus has been on improving direction toward the plate, which the staff believes will help restore effectiveness.

“Getting the direction better, we feel that it should increase velocity,” Roberts said. “And his pitch mix should be better.”

Looking ahead to the starter, Sheehan, Roberts emphasized the importance of innings as the Dodgers begin a six-game road trip.

“I would expect him to get through five innings,” Roberts said. “Not to tax our pen early on.”

Roberts also confirmed that Alex Call is scheduled to start later in the weekend, signaling a continued effort to balance opportunities across the roster.

While the results haven’t yet followed, Roberts remains confident that consistency will come with time — a message centered on trusting both the process and the players as the season unfolds.

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