This week’s World Series rematch in Toronto played out the same way it did last fall. The Los Angeles Dodgers took the series over the Blue Jays and won two of three, and they had a lead in the seventh inning of the third game before Toronto rallied. Wednesday’s win (TOR 4, LAD 3) salvaged the series for the Blue Jays and snapped their six-game losing streak.
During Wednesday’s series finale, the Blue Jays again raised the issue of Shohei Ohtani’s warm-up time between innings when he’s getting ready to pitch. Ohtani ended the top of the first inning on second base, then returned to the dugout to ready himself to throw. He got to the mound with less than one minute remaining on the two-minute between-innings clock and was granted additional time for his eight warm-up pitches.
George Springer, Toronto’s leadoff hitter, checked with home plate umpire Dan Bellino about the two-minute timer. The Blue Jays raised the same issue during the World Series last year, specifically during Ohtani’s Game 7 start.
MLB rules give the umpire discretion to give the pitcher more time to warm up under certain circumstances, including when he ends the previous inning at bat or on the bases. The universal DH was adopted in 2022, so pitchers don’t hit anymore, but the rule does still apply to Ohtani. He frequently takes more time to warm up as a pitcher when he was involved in the previous inning as a hitter.
“Just talking about the World Series, I think they were a little frustrated about how long Shohei takes in between innings. But if he’s on the bases, there’s got to be some grace, which the umpires are trying to give him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game Wednesday (via The Athletic). “If you’re on the other side, you’re trying to rush him as much as possible and treat him like any other pitcher. But the truth is that he’s different. But I understand their gripe.”
According to MLB’s research, Ohtani’s time between innings when he ends the previous inning as a hitter/runner is consistent with the time between innings when pitchers still hit in 2019 and 2021. So, yes, Ohtani does take more time to warm up when he ends the previous inning as a hitter or as a runner on base, but it’s in line with the time pitchers took between innings before the universal DH.
The umpires have a duty to protect players and rushing warm-ups could lead to injury, which is one reason why umpires can grant additional time at their discretion. Now that the DH is universal, this additional warm-up time only applies to Ohtani, but it is within the rules. The Blue Jays and every team the Dodgers play may not like it, but it is allowed.
Ohtani allowed one unearned run in six innings on Wednesday. He has yet to allow an earned run through two starts. As a hitter, Ohtani has a .267/.407/.489 slash line with three home runs.
Wednesday’s loss in Toronto dropped the Dodgers to 9-3 on the season. They have baseball’s best record. The Blue Jays are 5-7.