Shohei Ohtani, who was kept in check for most of the night, was on the mound opposite the Blue Jays in Toronto for the final game of a three-game set. Well, he eventually took the mound — to the dismay of the Blue Jays.
Ohtani spent the top half of the opening inning on base after drawing a walk, and once the frame flipped and it was his turn to pitch, the two-way superstar took longer to warm up than those on the Toronto side appreciated. Ohtani didn’t take the mound to loosen up until there were fewer than 60 seconds left on the two-minute clock, and then the timer was extended for him.
That prompted action from George Springer as the Blue Jays leadoff hitter left the on-deck circle to have a conversation with home-plate umpire Dan Merzel, which was speculated to be about Ohtani’s extended warmup.
The Japanese star being afforded extra time — the two-minute clock is subject to umpire discretion — is not uncommon, especially after half-innings in which he’s taken part offensively. But it’s also not an unfamiliar sight to see opposing teams take exception to it.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged as much on Wednesday when asked about Ohtani’s unique circumstances.
“I think they were a little frustrated about how long Shohei takes in between innings,” Roberts said. “But if he’s on the bases, there’s got to be some grace, which the umpires are trying to give him.”
A more measured response from Roberts than his initial reaction to the Blue Jays’ protest on Wednesday. The Dodgers’ bench boss appeared to be visibly frustrated when Springer approached the umpire to inquire about Ohtani’s extended warmup.
“Yeah, if you’re on the other side, you’re trying to rush him as much as possible and treat him like any other pitcher,” Roberts explained. “But the truth is that he’s different, but I understand their gripe.”
Ohtani ended up sticking in the game for six innings, giving up one run on one walk and two strikeouts. On the offensive end, he went 0-for-3 with one walk and two strikeouts.
The Blue Jays look to shake off the drama-filled World Series rematch when they host the Minnesota Twins for a three-game set, starting on Friday (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).
