Q. So they described you as the spokesperson for all the potential openers/starters. How are you dealing with this in terms of your preparation? Are you just getting yourself ready in case your number gets called tomorrow?
REESE OLSON: Yeah. The only thing I really know is whenever A.J. tells me to go out to the mound, I'm going to go. So whenever that is, I'm going to be ready for that.
But, yeah, I think it's just kind of a fluid situation. So see how it plays out.
Q. Reese, how much did the last seven weeks or whatever prepare you for the type of uses you could end up seeing in this series? And how much is this even beyond that, just because of maybe the magnitude or maybe the urgency to make a pitching change?
REESE OLSON: It feels like we've been playing playoff baseball for the last month and a half. Feels like we're ready for that. Not much is going to change with the playoffs. Maybe a little more urgency. But everybody is ready for every situation.
Q. Just describe the last 48 hours or so. You guys had to turn the page really quick and get ready for playoff baseball. The plane ride here, the anticipation of all of that for such a young team that hasn't really experienced anything like that?
REESE OLSON: It honestly feels pretty normal. Doesn't feel too big for us. We're ready for this series. We're ready for any series. So I think everyone in our clubhouse is just very confident in the team and the team as a whole. So we're ready to go.
Q. I'm curious, what have you learned watching Tarik all season, both on the mound, but also behind the scenes?
REESE OLSON: I think he's just the definition of a competitor. So when he goes out there, he's in compete mode. He's one of the most competitive guys I've seen on the mound. So when he's out there on the mound, that's what I take away from watching him start every fifth day. Behind the scenes, he's got his routine down to a tee. He hammers that between every start, and he's locked in on that, and he doesn't waver from that. So that's something I've taken away, trying to learn our team for myself.
Q. A.J. said yesterday his plan for the series was Tarik and then chaos. Do you think this group of arms is a group that's well suited to function in that kind of form?
REESE OLSON: Yeah. We have a group of guys in the bullpen that we've been doing it -- they've been doing it for a month and a half now, and we have seems to be just about all different kind of pitchers out there. We've got the lefty sinker ballers, we've got the lefty right guys, same thing with the righties. So we have a guy for every match-up, and A.J. knows how to use that to his advantage.
Q. Reese, with your injury, late in the season, there was a point where they could have said, okay, let's just focus on 2025. This season's not going anywhere. How much or how glad are you now that you did have the urgency to get back to return and to be able to play a role in these final weeks of the season?
REESE OLSON: Obviously, very thankful that we kind of made a decision for me to come back this year. Obviously, it led to this. But couldn't have done it without the staff in there every day with my rehab. So I'm thankful for them. Really excited to be in this situation, be able to help the team win in the playoffs.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks for coming in, Reese.
REESE OLSON: Thank you, guys.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports