The reason Dave Roberts will not be managing the Dodgers on Sunday

Dodgers Manager Attends Daughter’s Graduation

CHICAGO – If you tune into the Dodgers’ game on Sunday, don’t expect to spot manager Dave Roberts in the usual spot at the top step of the dugout.

Roberts made a trip back to California on Saturday evening to be at his youngest daughter Elle’s college graduation. Therefore, he won’t be present during the team’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox.

In his place, bench coach Danny Lehmann will step up as the interim manager for the day.

Roberts shared a light-hearted moment on Saturday, noting that it’s a big weekend, as Elle is graduating from Stanford University. He joked, “This is her fourth and final graduation.” It seems like a big deal for the family.

“I graduated high school twice, I graduated college twice… I can’t believe it. I even shaved today to look a bit younger. But honestly, I feel like I’m a day older today,” he chuckled.

While it would be nice to turn back time, he expressed gratitude for how the culture in sports has shifted. He mentioned that, in the past, it was frowned upon for a manager to miss games for family events. These days, he encourages his coaching staff to attend similar milestones.

“I think one of the positives about our evolving society is that it’s now accepted to take time for your mental well-being or family. It’s great to feel like you can celebrate your daughter without being judged,” he reflected.

Luckily, the late afternoon start time for Saturday’s game made travel easier for him.

As soon as the Dodgers wrapped up their game, which included a near-perfect performance by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roberts wasted no time. He quickly changed and dashed off to the airport for what he anticipated would be an emotional day.

“You see it all around baseball,” said Roberts, “people prioritizing their family and taking parental leave. It’s definitely a healthy change.”

In other news, Miguel Rojas left Saturday’s game early due to a recurrent issue with his right shin. Although he seemed unfazed, he opted to sit out as a precaution after tweaking it while attempting to jump over a pitch.