Dodgers $5M Star Confronts Dave Roberts’ Complacency Callout with Unflinching Response

The Dodgers’ loss to the Diamondbacks on Saturday once again put the spotlight on their focus and attention to detail. Manager Dave Roberts has called out his team multiple times this year. And recently hinted that they’ve been acting like they can just flip the switch whenever they need to, when he’d much rather see them approach every game with the same urgency. One veteran isn’t shying away from that conversation— Miguel Rojas had something to say in response.

“You guys gotta understand, we’re human beings,” Rojas said. “And sometimes you get tired, especially mentally. And you got a lot of things going on in your life, and your year, and it’s not easy to be locked in every single time. But I feel like we made a commitment to be locked in for 25 more games, plus the 20 or whatever we need to play in the playoffs.” 

That statement comes at a critical time. After riding a nine-game lead in the NL West at the start of July, the Dodgers briefly lost the division lead before sweeping the Padres to reclaim it. Since July 28, the Dodgers are 7–10 against teams under .500 but 11–4 against winning clubs. And Roberts doesn’t know how much longer they can keep counting on a late-season spark. It’s the glaring inconsistency that Roberts has refused to excuse. “Whatever it is, we’ve got to do it right now,” he said before Sunday’s series finale. He’s been pushing his players to stay locked in, and this time, it sounds like the clubhouse is finally listening. But Rojas’ words have a reason to carry weight, still. 

It’s not just because he’s 36 with years of experience, but because the Dodgers committed to him long-term. They signed him to a two-year deal in February 2023 worth $11 million, and even exercised his $5 million club option for 2025 last November.

Now that September’s here, it’s officially postseason watch time. And the Dodgers find themselves in a crowded four-team mix in the National League, with only a three-game gap separating the No. 2 seed (first-round bye) from the No. 5 seed (full road wild-card series).

While it’s still too early to dive into magic numbers with four weeks left, for those keeping track, the Dodgers’ number to clinch the NL West sits at 23. So, that means any combination of Dodgers wins and Padres losses adding up to 23 would secure the division for L.A. Of course, with a month of baseball left, plenty can still shift before then. But at the same time, it’s a far cry from what they once used to be.

Inconsistency is the Dodgers’ biggest threat

Well, in the years under Dave Roberts, the Dodgers built their reputation on the little things. They were sharp, disciplined, and rarely did the team beat itself.

This season, though, has felt different, and nothing showed it more than their weekend series at home against the Diamondbacks to close out August. For the unversed, just days after sweeping the Reds with 21 runs across three games, the Dodgers’ bats went quiet. Against three starters with ERAs north of 5.00, the Dodgers managed just a single run in the first 18 innings!

That’s inconsistency at its best.

And it wasn’t just the lack of offense. They ran into outs on the bases, made sloppy throws in the outfield, failed to hustle, and even committed two errors on the same play Saturday. It was about as un-Dodger-like as it gets.

So now, the fixes sound simple, but won’t come easily. But if they can do that, Rojas believes they have a real shot at making history as the first repeat World Series champions since the 2000 Yankees. Because this October, unlike last year, the Dodgers won’t be counting on opponents to hand them extra chances. This time, the Dodgers’ inconsistencies are their biggest rival.