Welcome to the California Post’s weekly summary on the Dodgers, where baseball writers Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris reflect on the events of the past week every Thursday.
TORONTO – A contentious issue from Game 7 of last year’s World Series has come back into focus in the early part of this season.
For the majority of pitchers in Major League Baseball, the warming-up rules are straightforward. Once the previous half-inning ends, a two-minute timer starts. If a pitcher isn’t ready to face the first batter by the end of that timer, they risk an automatic walk due to a pitch clock violation.
Yet, Shohei Ohtani has a unique advantage that very few can utilize.
According to league rules, “If the pitcher is on base, on deck, or at bat when the previous inning ends, the timer starts when the pitcher leaves the dugout for the mound.”
This specific adjustment wasn’t designed solely for Ohtani; occasionally, other pitchers bat during the season, but they’re quite rare. With only one other full-time hitting pitcher in the majors, one might say this poses a challenge for Ohtani’s opponents.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted, “If you were on the other side, you’d try to rush him as much as possible and treat him like any other pitcher. But the truth is, he’s different.”
Thus, it’s unlikely that Ohtani’s routine will be altered soon. Just like in last year’s Game 7 when he took his time on the mound, he’s once again leveraged this little loophole in his initial starts this season.
If he’s at bat, on base, or in the on-deck circle during the previous half-inning, the warm-up clock resets to two minutes when he comes back to the mound, which, interestingly, allows him extra time—much of which, admittedly, he might spend just changing his batting equipment.
In both instances this past week, it seemed the opposing teams weren’t fully aware of how this rule applied to him. The Guardians’ manager, Stephen Vogt, addressed it with the umpires during Ohtani’s first reset, and when he returned to face the Blue Jays, veteran player George Springer inquired about Ohtani’s extra warm-up duration.
After the game, Roberts acknowledged their irritation, stating, “I understand their frustration,” but he also pointed out Ohtani’s exceptional circumstances and that “the referees are giving him that reprieve.”
How advantageous this is for Ohtani is another question altogether. He typically gets just 1-2 minutes to warm up, most of which can be spent adjusting his gear. However, with long travel taking its toll on him, that extra time could potentially make a difference.
Regardless, the rules set by MLB are explicit. Hence, the Dodgers don’t feel the need to apologize for any perceived advantage being given to their four-time MVP. As Roberts emphasized, Ohtani is indeed unique, including how the rules apply to him.
