Dave Roberts stood on the bottom step of his dugout and offered his hand to his rookie pitcher. Roberts could not have daydreamed about moments like this when he became the manager of the Dodgers during the winter. But in a season scarred by injuries, this is his reality.
So Roberts shook hands with Brock Stewart, the latest rookie to debut as a starter for this team, the latest pitcher unable to plug the void in the team’s rotation. He thanked him for his effort, an admirable but ineffective one in a 7-0 loss to Milwaukee.
Like temporary Dodger Nick Tepesch four days earlier, Stewart absorbed a brisk pounding.