Teoscar Hernández reveals motivating Dodgers meeting that fueled team after injuries

On Sept. 14, the Dodgers were dealt with what felt like a death knell for their postseason hopes. Tyler Glasnow, who returned to the IL on Aug. 16 after already missing a few weeks around the All-Star Break, was going onto the 60-day IL with elbow tendinitis. He would miss out on the last two weeks of the regular season, as well as the postseason.

At that point, the Dodgers were still a week and a half away from clinching the division against the Padres, Gavin Stone's season had ended about a week before with shoulder inflammation, and Clayton Kershaw's future was looking grim. The Dodgers were 5-7 through the first two weeks of September.

Now, they're just four wins away from winning the World Series, having ridden three starters and bullpen games through an at-times desperate NLDS against the Padres and six LCS games against the Mets.

After the clinch, Teoscar Hernández revealed details about a team meeting led by Dave Roberts, right after Glasnow and Stone's seasons had met their end. As Hernandez revealed, "It was one time that we felt like we were down as a team. And one meeting changed everything" (subscription required).

Teoscar Hernández details epic Dave Roberts speech to down-and-out Dodgers after Tyler Glasnow's season ended

Max Muncy and Mookie Betts also piled on the praise for Roberts' stability during that rough September stretch. "Doc — the job that he does definitely does not get enough credit," Muncy said, while Betts spoke to his commitment to his players on a personal level.

"I think Doc does a really good job in making us be intentional about the time we spend with each other. … Genuine, good quality time is different than just being in the cage," the former MVP shared this week.

And the thing is — the Dodgers really did get better after Sept. 14. A lot better. They went 11-3 from Sept. 15 through the rest of the regular season, and capped off the year with a five-game winning streak against the Padres and Rockies to put up the most wins by any team in baseball.

Even without Glasnow, Stone, and Kershaw, they've managed to make it to the World Series. Sometimes turnarounds happen out of nowhere — things just start to click and players get hot — but the Dodgers' late season surge can be traced back to a galvanizing moment during the regular season, when Roberts knew he needed his players needed a lift, and they responded in kind.