Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledges MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s regret on handling of Houston Astros’ cheating scandal

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has acknowledged MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's regret at the handling of the Houston Astros' 2017 cheating scandal.

Roberts spoke with reporters after the Dodgers took two of three from the Astros in Los Angeles over the weekend. Rob Manfred had reflected on his handling of the scandal before the matchup.

"I think I can appreciate the fact that he admitted that he would’ve done things differently," the Dodgers skipper said. "I think anyone that’s in any type of leadership role, you’re going to have to make decisions, and some of them you wish you had back. That’s just part of life."

The Astros were judged to have electronically stole signs throughout the 2017 season and into the postseason as they defeated Dave Roberts' Dodgers in the World Series to win the organization's first World Series championship.

Houston manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for a season, and the Astros were fined a maximum-allowable $5 million. The team also forfeited its first- and second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 MLB drafts.

Both Hinch and Luhnow were fired in the aftermath, but Astros players were not punished. Rob Manfred told Sean Gregory of Time Magazine of the precedent set by the decision:

"I'm not sure that I would have approached it with giving players immunity. Once we gave players immunity, it puts you in a box as to what exactly you were going to do in terms of punishment. I might have gone about the investigative process without that grant of immunity and see where it takes us. Starting with, I’m not going to punish anybody, maybe not my best decision ever."

Dave Roberts shies away from further comments about Rob Manfred

Manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks to fans.

When asked whether Manfred set the wrong precedent by not punishing Astros' players, Roberts declined to comment further:

"You know what? I don’t think it’s beneficial for me to talk about that."

The Dodgers enter this week in third place in the National League West, three games behind the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks with a 43-34 record.