Dave Roberts is more worried about Dodgers' ABS struggles than his players are

The Automatic Ball-Strike Challenge System is being officially introduced to Major League Baseball games this season. Teams have been using spring training to get used to it, and the Dodgers are, quite literally, the worst of any of them at challenge calls so far.

Entering Saturday, LA had only won five out of 27 challenges. Their hitters have a 15% success rate, and their pitchers and catchers have a 21% success rate. Dalton Rushing, who has been getting a lot of starts in camp while Will Smith is playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, is 1-for-3.

Dave Roberts said of the issue, "We're going to do an organization forum on Tuesday to get our guys, our hitting coaches, our players to talk about some things, maybe some strategies."

Dodgers players don't seem concerned to a point where they think they need a whole forum about it, though. Freddie Freeman said, "A lot of us are still trying to learn it … Spring training is the time to figure it out, figure out your zone and see if you have a better idea of it [before the start of the season]."

Of a failed attempt, Rushing said, "I would've bet my whole life that baseball was touching the zone. But that's what spring training is for."

Dodgers are downplaying their struggles with the new ABS, but Dave Roberts isn't convinced

Teams have a two-strike system with the ABS during games, and managers and coaches are not allowed to be involved in that decision-making; the call has to come from a hitter, pitcher, or catcher.

The exact dimensions of the zone are variable from player to player, which means that hitters need to figure out their own constraints — and pitchers and catchers need to figure out basically everybody's.

We're more inclined to side with Freeman on this one; spring training is for trial and error and some experimentation. And no one will be as willy-nilly with their decisions to call in actual games unless things are late and close. We wouldn't be surprised if players with weaker plate discipline are strongly urged not to challenge, ever.

But there's some validity to Roberts' concerns. If the Dodgers stay bad at this across the board, then what happens if they blow their second challenge in a late and close game?

The Dodgers will figure it out. We're not too concerned yet, but it's something to keep an eye on.