Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had been open about being undecided on whether or not he would’ve managed in the All-Star Game if it remained in Atlanta. Roberts was upset after the passage of S.B. 202, a Georgia law that President Joe Biden criticized earlier this week, saying that it will restrict voting access for residents of the state.

But with Major League Baseball deciding that it will pull the game and the MLB Draft out of Atlanta after the bill became law, Roberts was in full support of the decision.

“I support it,” Roberts said. “I’m not completely versed on everything, but ... my takeaway from the bill was essentially [that its effect is] to suppress voting for ... people of color, and with that, that’s something that I fundamentally and intrinsically disagree with. So for the Commissioner to kind of do his due diligence in baseball, outside of baseball, players, front office, and ultimately make a decision to remove the All-Star Game and the Draft out of the state of Georgia, I support.”

The Georgia law includes a number of elements that will make it harder to vote, including strict ID requirements for absentee ballots and limiting access to ballot dropboxes. In criticizing the law, President Biden said that it is “a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience,” adding that provisions of S.B. 202 “effectively deny the right to vote to countless voters.”

As MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred gathered more information, the league approached Roberts to get his thoughts. Roberts, who is the son of a Japanese mother and a Black father, shared his feelings. Once the decision was made, Roberts was thrilled with how MLB handled the situation.

“I think that Major League Baseball does a really good job of kind of vetting and seeing all sides to ultimately make a decision,” Roberts said. “But I applaud them for being proactive in this case.”

Roberts also talked about how impactful this decision is for Major League Baseball moving forward.

“It’s very impactful, because I think in a world now where people want and need to be heard -- in this particular case, people of color -- for Major League Baseball to listen and do something about it and be proactive, I think it sets a tone from Major League Baseball to the players, and we have to be in it together,” he said. “It’s a great game, but for it to continue to flourish, we have to be in it together, and this is a huge step towards that.”

MLB is still deciding on the host city for the All-Star Game, but it will not be in Los Angeles. Dodger Stadium is scheduled to host the 2022 ASG. The Dodgers had been scheduled to host it last season before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box,” Manfred said. “In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.”

Barnes update
Austin Barnes, who left Thursday’s game against the Rockies in the eighth inning with a right hand injury, has a few cuts on his hand after getting spiked by C.J. Cron's cleats on a play at the plate. The injury didn’t require any further tests and the catcher could be back in the lineup on Saturday, according to Roberts.

“I think he’s doing better than we first thought to the eye,” Roberts said. “He had a scheduled day off today, but I still expect him to be in there tomorrow. Now, it’s just little cuts all over his hand.”

Barnes is expected to get about 40 to 45 percent of the starts at catcher this season. He’s considered one of the best defensive catchers in the game and will always catch Clayton Kershaw. Will Smith is starting at catcher on Friday, hitting sixth.

Bauer’s organization
Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer launched “Ks for a Cause,” a season-long giveback initiative to support local nonprofit organizations focused on STEM and/or youth programming in the greater Los Angeles area.

Bauer will donate $1,000 per strikeout throughout the regular season and each month, it will go to a different nonprofit organization. For April, Bauer will donate the money to Think Together and will help fund afterschool STEM and robotics programming for middle school students in southeast Los Angeles.

“This season, I’m looking forward to giving back to my hometown community in a meaningful way,” Bauer said in a statement. “I’m excited to launch Ks for a Cause to support several incredible nonprofit organizations doing impactful work to promote STEM and offer a variety of youth programming across the greater Los Angeles area. It’s really the perfect initiative for me, as it combines two things I love in life: strikeouts and helping others.”