Dodgers: Dave Roberts Discusses Top Pitching Prospect's Poor Outing

Spring training games are the time for players to dial in their game and get ready for the upcoming season. The layoff was longer than ever this offseason due to the MLB lockout and it may take some extra time for players to find their groove.

That was evident on Saturday when Dodgers top pitching prospect Ryan Pepiot made his Cactus League debut. The Dodgers overall number two prospect has plenty of rival scouts and LA front office personnel excited.

Saturday was exciting for Pepiot, but for all the wrong reasons.

Pepiot yielded six runs on four its in two hits. Four of those runs came on a grand slam from former Dodgers outfielder Steven Souza Jr. On the bright side, at least fans got to watch Pepiot's filthy changeup live.

Manager Dave Roberts talked about Pepiot's outing and why the hurler struggled. MLB.com's Juan Toribio provided Doc's quotes.

“It was just one of those things that he couldn’t command the baseball. But to see him go back out there for the second inning and ultimately come out feeling good, healthy and built up, that’s most important right now.”

The expectation is that Pepiot will begin his season as a member of the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Triple-A). It's also not out of the question that the former Butler Bulldog could make his major league debut this summer.

He might not be the only one either. Bobby Miller, the Dodgers 2020 first-round pick, could also get his first taste of major league action this year as well.