Anyone who has known Dodgers manager Dave Roberts for even five minutes knows that he is (almost) always a very upbeat, positive guy. So when he proclaimed Monday “a great day for the Los Angeles Dodgers,” you immediately knew something good had happened.

As it turns out and as a surprise to no one, Monday’s ‘great day’ had to do with staff ace Clayton Kershaw, and it indeed was.

“It went well,” Roberts told reporters about Kershaw and right-hander Walker Buehler, who both faced live hitters on Monday in simulated games prior to Monday’s Freeway Series match-up against the Angels of Anaheim at the Big-A. “Today was a great day for the Los Angeles Dodgers. [For Kershaw] to come out of it physically strong, ball coming out good, repeating delivery, arm strength and stuff, that’s what I was looking for.”

Buehler pitched four innings and remains on track to start Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

“Walker, up and down four times and really liked the fastball,  dominated hitters,” Roberts said. “So, it was tough for hitters to face a guy like Walker in a simulated situation. But like I said, today has already been a good day for the Dodgers.”

Buehler, who made one Cactus League start for the Dodgers in Arizona, said that his work on Monday felt similar to what he would have accomplished in a Spring Training game.

“It felt good,” he told reports after the outing. “Threw some good pitches and got to see some hitters, so should be ready to roll.

“It’s hard for me to kind of hold anything back,” Buehler added. “There’s something about a game that you can’t simulate, but to get that 90, 95 percent I think is good. … Dealing with injuries that led to pitch limits in the past, I think I kind of understand how that progression works. I’m right to where I would’ve been last year, too. No, I feel fine.”

Kershaw, who will begin the 2019 campaign on the Injured List as he works his way back from shoulder discomfort he experienced early this spring, threw the equivalent of two innings and used his entire repertoire of pitches. And even though the Future Hall of Famer was critical of his curveball during the outing, Roberts was “very encouraged” by the way the ball was coming out of his hand, and by the depth of his slider.

“The curveball is something that we’re not too concerned about, and I don’t think Clayton is either,” Roberts said.

According to Roberts, the 31-year-old Dallas, Texas native and Dodgers first-round draft pick in 2006 will throw another bullpen session in the next few days and then another simulated game of four innings.

Roberts added that he is “very, very appreciative” to have the starting pitching depth that the Dodgers have to be able to deal with Kershaw and fellow left-hander Rich Hill beginning the season in the IL.

“For us to be able to cover that, I think is great,” Roberts said. “To have Ross Stripling, he’s an All-Star, to have Julio [Urias] take a start, I think that’s fantastic … give some other guys in the bullpen an opportunity. But I do expect Clayton and Rich to come back soon.”

In the absence of Kershaw and Hill, the Dodgers will begin the season with a starting rotation of left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, right-handers Ross Stripling, Kenta Maeda and Walker Buehler, and left-hander Julio Urias respectively.

Play Ball!

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