Just like they did during the 2025 World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays complained about Los Angeles Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani and how long he gets to warm up before beginning an inning.
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic relayed that Blue Jays outfielder George Springer approached the home plate umpire to inquire about Ohtani’s warmup clock. The two-way star was stranded at second base in the top of the first inning. Pitchers have two minutes to warm up prior to the inning, but Ohtani didn’t take the mound until there was less than a minute on the clock. The umpiring crew extended that time for him, prompting a complaint from Springer.
As Ardaya notes, the two-minute clock isn’t a hard and fast rule. It’s up to the discretion of the umpires. Ohtani is often given additional time if he’s involved offensively to close the prior inning. That could include being on base, making the final out, or being at the plate when the frame ends.
Toronto Blue Jays Still Upset About Shohei Ohtani and the Warmup Clock
This isn’t the first time the Blue Jays have voiced concerns about Ohtani’s additional warmup time. Manager John Schneider was seen on the television broadcast expressing displeasure during Game 7 of the World Series. Ohtani struggled in the contest, allowing three earned runs over 2.1 IP, but the Dodgers emerged with a 5-4 victory in extra innings.
“Just talking about the World Series, I think they were a little frustrated about how long Shohei takes in between innings,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters following the matchup on Wednesday, April 8. “But if he’s on the bases, there’s got to be some grace, which the umpires are trying to give him.”
Ohtani dazzled in the most recent matchup, firing six solid frames. He permitted just four hits. The lone run against Ohtani was unearned, due to a Will Smith passed ball. The error by Smith allowed Daulton Varsho to advance to second base. He would come around to score on a two-out double by Jesus Sanchez. Ohtani was in line for the victory, but the bullpen let him down. Jack Dreyer gave up two runs in the seventh inning to blow the lead. Ben Casparius ceded a run in the eighth inning to seal the 4-3 loss.
Blue Jays Salvage Final Game in World Series Rematch
Toronto’s win on Wednesday snapped a six-game losing streak. The club was swept by the lowly Chicago White Sox over the weekend. The Dodgers had taken the first two games of the series in convincing fashion. Dalton Rushing led the way on Monday, April 6, slugging a pair of home runs en route to a 14-2 win. Los Angeles pounded out 17 hits and chased starter Max Scherzer after two innings. The offensive display on Tuesday, April 7, wasn’t as overwhelming, but World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto shut down the Blue Jays. The righty cruised through six innings of one-run ball to secure the 4-1 victory.
The defeat in the final matchup of the three-game set was just the Dodgers’ third loss of the season. The club is off on Thursday as they travel back home for a series against the Texas Rangers.
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